


Bronze

by ghostpuppy (athenaincarnate)



Category: One Piece
Genre: Action/Adventure, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Reincarnation, SI-OC, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2018-10-14 13:31:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 86,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10537494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/athenaincarnate/pseuds/ghostpuppy
Summary: Selena is reborn into a world where marines follow their own skewed sense of justice, pirates control the seas, and the government is run by self-entitled assholes. Torn between her desire to explore the world and to preserve the timeline, she tries to go on her own adventure and avoid all things Strawhat. Fortunately, she fails miserably. Reincarnation SI-OC. Canon divergent.





	1. Mischief Managed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, readers! This is my first story, so I would really appreciate any feedback or constructive criticism you have to offer.
> 
> Story has been crossposted on fanfiction.net under the username ghostpuppy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

  _Thirteen years before Romance Dawn_

* * *

Garp was truly enjoying being back in the East Blue. The eight month tour of the New World he had just completed had gotten his blood singing and revitalized his fighting spirit, but it was exhausting to be constantly on edge and the amount of pirates roaming the seas seemed to be multiplying. The fighting never ended. He was going to enjoy the month of East Blue inspection duty he had weaseled out of Sengoku.

But back to the fun part. Nothing brought him more amusement than seeing one of his old students posturing for his sake. The newly promoted Captain Hitoshi had volunteered to lead him on a tour of the Loguetown base, and it was obvious that he just wanted to show off for his old teacher. Garp noted with wry amusement that his little student had sent his uniform to be freshly pressed and was wearing his brand new captain’s coat with pride. It wasn't like Garp cared about that kind of stuff, but it was adorable that Hitoshi went to such lengths just to impress him.

“And this here is my new office! Pretty cool, huh? Corner spot with a view of… are you even listening!?”

At this point, Garp figured it was a good time to end his impromptu nap and feigned waking up. God, Hitoshi was just too fun to mess with.

“Nicely done, brat! Just don’t let your newfound success get to your head! Fist of Love!” He tried to hold back a little, not wanting to destroy the new office, but ended up sending Hitoshi flying into his new mahogany desk and cracking it in half. Oh, well. At least he was still conscious.

“What the hell was that for!?” Hitoshi yelled while gripping the huge lump on his head.

Garp chuckled. That was more like the Hitoshi he knew. He didn't want his bratty little student treating him any differently just because of a promotion.

“To keep you humble,” Garp answered, with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Hitoshi just sighed. He knew better than to try to argue with Garp’s logic. He decided to change tracks and hopefully delay any more mindless destruction Garp was sure to cause while maneuvering through the base.

“Do you have any plans for the rest of the night, shishou?”

“Not really, I was just going to eat with my boys and kill time at the base while waiting for our ship to be cleaned and restocked,” Garp answered while sticking his pinky up his nose.

“Well, if you like, I would be honored if you had dinner and spent the night at my place. Valhalla is only a two hour sail from here and you could come back first thing in the morning. I promise that whatever my wife makes will be better than the slop they serve in the cafeteria here,” Hitoshi said somewhat hesitantly. It’s not just that he was worried that Garp would destroy his home, which he was, but he was also nervous about having his daughter and Garp in the same room. They would either destroy the island or catch on like a house on fire. He wasn’t sure which would be worse.

“Bwahaha! You know I can’t say no to a home cooked meal! Besides, I haven’t seen Etsuko since the wedding! And am I finally going to meet that brat you’ve been bragging non-stop about?”

At least Hitoshi had the decency to blush, Garp noted. He always found the sight amusing, especially since Hitoshi’s quickly reddening face clashed horribly with his teal hair.

“I haven’t been bragging! Am I not allowed to be excited about my first kid? Besides, we weren’t sure if Etsuko would be able to have children. She’s our little miracle!” Hitoshi gushed, not realizing he was actually proving Garp’s point.

“Oh, is that why she came as such a surprise?” Garp asked slyly, making Hitoshi’s blush come back with a vengeance. It’s not like they had been able to hide the fact that Etsuko was five months pregnant at the wedding. It had led to a lot of good-natured teasing from his comrades, but Hitoshi didn’t regret a thing.

“Hmm? Did you say something?” Hitoshi deflected. What? It’s not like he could tease Garp back! The man was twice his elder and a _vice admiral_. His teacher might have a soft spot for him but he wasn’t going to push it. “We should head out soon if we want to make it in time for dinner!”

“Bwahaha! You haven’t changed a bit, Hitoshi! You might be a Captain now, but you’re always going to be the awkward little recruit I first met all those years ago!”

“Yes, shishou,” Hitoshi mumbled, ducking his head. He might be almost thirty and have command over his own officers now, but Garp always made him feel like a kid again.

* * *

Selena’s mind was whirling. The pieces were all coming together faster than her five year old brain could comprehend. Here she was, forced to face the truth that she had been denying for the past year or so.

A truth that had just busted through the wall of her home like it had been paper and not solid brick.

She desperately held onto hope for a _second_ \- he couldn't be the only person besides the Kool-Aid man to burst through walls in order to make an entrance - before that hope was irrevocably shattered by a very unique laugh.

“Bwahaha!”

Welp. There went her sanity. And her day had started out so normally, too.

Her mother had woken her up early in the morning to get ready for the day. She had thrown on a cute white sundress - not because she was trying to look cute, which she did, but because wearing a dress meant she wouldn’t have to waste time trying to coordinate an outfit - laced up her sturdiest sandals, and helped her mother cook breakfast.

After cleaning the dirty dishes and a few hours of practicing kanji, which she still couldn’t get the hang of, she headed towards the beach to meet up with her best friend Kingsley.

She really loved that kid. One of the things that she had been sad about after realizing that she had been reincarnated ( _what an earth-shattering realization that had been_ ) was that she no longer had siblings. In her past life, she had been the eldest of three. She had a younger brother and sister, who had quickly become her little partners in crime. They had been really close growing up, and as she got older they only got closer. Realizing that this time around she was an only child had made her feel incredibly lonely.

Then came Kingsley. Once she was old enough to go off on her own, which she had been horrified to find out was just _three_ years old, she spent most of her days exploring the island. Its full name was the Isle of Valhalla, but most locals just shortened it to Valhalla.

She had been traipsing through the forest that covered the south side of the island when she tripped over a root, tumbled head over heels, and got stuck at the bottom of a ditch. It was a perfect example of why three year olds shouldn’t be allowed to go off on their own. She tried to clamber over the sides of the ditch in vain. Her stubby little legs just weren’t strong enough for her to jump and grab the ledge.

After a number of failed attempts, she felt her eyes start to water up in frustration. She hated when her body betrayed her like this. It was soon after she had come to terms with her reincarnation that she had to accept that she really was a child. Even though she had the experience of living another life, it was extremely difficult to apply it to her life now. She had wanted to believe she had the maturity of an adult, but the truth of the matter was that she had the brain, emotions, and hormones of a toddler. So sure, she had access to a vast amount of practical knowledge that no other toddler would have, but she still behaved like the three year old she was. And any three year old would cry in a situation like this. Feeling slightly mollified by the realization that it really was okay to cry, she decided to just let the tears out and get it over with.

No sooner than two or three tears had spilled over, she heard a voice call out.

“No! Don’t cry!” he shouted. Following the sound of the voice, she spotted a young boy peeking out of the foliage. He had deep brown skin that was complemented by his dark maroon hair. He also had the most expressive grey eyes she had ever seen, which only helped to highlight the panicked look on his face.

“Who are you? How did you find me? Were you following me?” The questions just seemed to want to keep tumbling out of her mouth, but she paused to give the boy time to answer.

"Uh, um, yeah. I was following you," he answered, hesitatingly slightly. "But only because I was worried! You look so little and everyday you keep going to the most dangerous places on the island! I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Oh, and my name is Kingsley."

At least someone on this island was worried about child safety.

“Oh, okay. My name is Selena and I’m three!” she replied excitedly. She had even thrown up three chubby little fingers for emphasis. “If you help me out of here I’ll be your friend! Oh wait, did you say you’ve been following me every day!?”

"Oh no, no, no! I've only been following you for the last few days," he said nonchalantly, like it wasn't weird at all to stalk a toddler. He approached the edge of the ditch. He then lied down on his stomach, dirtying his cargo shorts and plain grey t-shirt, and extended his arms down to her. "I was surprised you were being so reckless. I wanted to find out if you were being brave or just stupid."

She pouted up at him, but wasn’t in any position to protest. With a final heave, Kingsley was able to pull her up and out of the ditch. Both of them lay sprawled out on the grass, trying to catch their breath. Finally, she turned her head to face him. Shooting him a beaming smile, she said:

“Stupid or not, you got yourself a new friend.”

They had been inseparable ever since.

They had fallen into their roles of troublesome little sister and exasperated older brother easily. Just because she accepted that she was a toddler didn’t mean she had to like it. Which meant that she often took on more than she could handle and that Kingsley was the one who made sure she came out in one piece. He was always there for her when she got in over her head.

To be fair, most of the situations she had to be helped out of were due to her small size. Kingsley was a full two years older than her, and a lot taller than her, which meant it was up to him to look out for her.

The more she got to know him, the more she liked Kingsley. It also helped that he was nothing like her brother from _before_. She had longed for siblings and missed her brother dearly, but she didn’t want to replace him. Their vastly different personalities helped her see Kingsley as his own person, and not just as someone taking the place of her brother from  _before_.

Kingsley was naturally kind-hearted and a total worrier, not that he wanted anyone to know that. He covered up his fussing by putting up a tough front and with harsh words, but Selena knew him better than that. He was being raised by his grandfather, who was an old-fashioned, stern man. Which meant that Kingsley had no idea what to do when faced with open affection.

Making Kingsley blush was almost as fun as making her dad blush, because while her dad’s whole face would turn red, Kingsley’s blush was barely visible under his dark complexion. The changes were subtle. The darkening of his cheeks, his carefully averted eyes, and slightly jutted out lower lip were the only signs of Kingsley’s embarrassment, and she lived to see them. It was made even better by the fact that she was the only one who could read him so well, and to everyone else he just looked kind of annoyed.

Over the last two years they had gone on countless adventures and had gotten into an immeasurable amount of trouble. While she loved her parents more than words could describe, she was really grateful that she had met Kingsley. Her life in Valhalla would have been so boring without him. Together, they had explored almost the entire island and had met almost everyone who lived on it. He had even taken her out on a small fishing boat and had “taught” her how to swim. He had credited her natural swimming ability to his amazing teaching skills, and not to her freaky reincarnated status, much to her relief.

Today, Kingsley had declared that she was finally old enough to play one of his favorite games: Pirate Hunt. According to him, she had been too young to run all over the island by herself. Now that she was a week away from turning five, he thought she was old enough to play “without hurting herself, the island, or innocent bystanders.”

She huffed. That old man had recovered just fine in the end.

Kingsley went on to explain the rules, which basically consisted of an extreme game of tag where the person who was “it” was the “marine” and they were responsible for catching the “pirate”. Anywhere on the island was fair game.

Looking back, the whole pirates vs. marines mentality should have clued her in to what was going on, but what kids don’t like to pretend to be pirates? Plus, it was just another version of the cops and robbers game she had played in her past life.

Pirate Hunt turned out to be really fun, especially since they weren’t confined to a small area. Eventually some other kids joined in, turning it into a team vs. team manhunt. They got so caught up in it that they completely missed lunch, and only headed back home when the sun started to set.

With a quick hug good-bye for Kingsley, which had left him stuttering and blushing, Selena walked into her home ready to face the wrath of her mother.

She had completely destroyed the dress she was wearing. She was pretty sure it had started out white, but there was no way of knowing that now. Thankfully her sandals were still in good condition, but the same couldn’t be said about the rest of her appearance.

Her thick, black hair was a tangled mess. She was pretty sure she felt something crawling around in it, but left it in there for her mother to deal with. Her skin was covered in a layer of mud and dirt, and she had scraped her knees crawling under the docks to hide.

Not one to delay the inevitable, Selena called out.

“Kaa-chan! I’m home!”

The thing about her mother, Etsuko, was that her fury wasn’t loud or over the top. Nonetheless, it was _palpable_. It came over Selena like an icy chill and seeped down into her bones. Her mother's fury was _cold_.

“Oh, I know that isn’t my daughter I hear,” Etsuko said frigidly before turning the corner and coming into the living room. “And that better not be my daughter I _see_.”

Selena gulped.

“ _My_ daughter wouldn’t show up hours after she supposed to, after skipping lunch, covered in mud and tracking dirt into my home. I would never have raised _my_ child to be so rude.”

“Kaa-chan, I can explain! You see, Kingsley said that now that I’m not a baby anymore I can play this game called Pirate Hunt and it was so fun but he kept tagging me because he’s taller and has longer legs and then some other kids joined and it got even more fun but they didn’t want me on their team because they said I was too little so I had to prove to them how good I was and all the best hiding places were hard to get to and I tried not to get dirty but…”

She cut herself off when she noticed her mom’s unchanging expression.

Selena sighed. “I’m sorry. I’ll go get in the bath.”

“Now that sounds more like my daughter,” Etsuko said, satisfied. She never stayed angry after she got what she wanted. “Did you forget that your father is coming home today? And he sent a message saying that he’s bringing a guest. I’ve prepared a big dinner.”

Selena brought up a hand to rub the back of her neck sheepishly. Was that a worm she just felt in her hair!? “I actually did forget tou-chan was coming today.”

Etsuko sent her daughter a soft smile. “He wouldn’t miss your birthday, angel. He actually took off almost a whole month this time.”

“He did!? Really?!” Selena couldn’t help but break out into a little dance in excitement. Her mom just chuckled.

Her dad, Hitoshi, was a marine. He had recently been promoted to captain, which meant he was working a lot more than he did before. He was usually gone a week or two at a time, then came home for a few days. He was actually an instructor for fresh recruits at the Loguetown base, which was only two hours away, but she couldn’t help but miss him. She knew he loved his job, and she was proud of him, but she got to spend a lot less time with him nowadays.

“Yes, really. Now let’s get you into the bath. We want your father to be able to recognize you when he sees you,” Etsuko said.

After a harsh scrubbing, which Selena was sure was more for Etsuko to let out her frustration than to actually get her clean, Selena sat down on her bed with a fluffy white towel wrapped around her. This was usually her favorite part of the day.

With a creak of the mattress, Etsuko sat down behind her daughter and started brushing her hair. It had become their daily ritual. Etsuko would brush her daughter’s hair and hear all about her day. They would then trade places and Selena would brush her mother’s hair while listening to her talk about what her day had been like.

Humming softly, Etsuko picked out a pale blue dress for her daughter to wear that complimented her bronze skin. She really loved having a mini-me to dress up in cute clothes.

Once dressed and ready, the mother and daughter pair headed back into the kitchen to finish dinner preparations.

Selena had just finished setting the table when Monkey D. fucking Garp busted into her home with all of the grace of a rampaging sea king, _because those were things that existed now_ , shattering her perception of her reality in this world as she had come to know it.

Her mind was racing. Reincarnation she could accept. It had taken a few years, but it was a concept that had been familiar to her _before_ , so she had come to terms with it. _Reincarnation into a world she had believed was fictional_ was another thing entirely.

But she would have to deal with that later. Because right now, she was face to face with one of her favorite characters. Monkey D. Garp. Patriarch of the Monkey family. Hero of the marines, loving grandfather, and _all-around badass_.

He stood in the demolished remains of what had been the living room wall. There he was, a behemoth of a man, decked out in his marine uniform. Selena had always wanted to know more about him. The man who faced off countless times against Gol D. Roger and lived to tell the tale. Her heart had gone out to him, _before_. She felt that he was stuck in an uncomfortable position; he was loyal to the marines beyond a shadow of a doubt, but he would never betray his own family. She thought that he was aware of the corruption in the corps, but that overall the marines protected more people than they hurt. Without them to stand against the four emperors and the like, pirates would have taken over and ensued chaos. Not all crews were as adventure-loving and kind to civilians as the Roger Pirates, after all.

 _Monkey D. Garp_ was in her living room, bristly mustache and all.

“Shishou! Why would you do this!? Just! Why!?” Oh yeah, her dad was home too.

“Bwahaha! I wanted to make a good first impression!”

“The door was _right_ there!”

“It’s cooler this way!”

Okay, she had held herself back for long enough. With a running start and a leap, she flung herself into Garp’s arms.

Garp blinked. He had caught the incoming projectile without thinking about it, not realizing that it was actually a small child. He was holding her at arm's length like he would a bad puppy; but if that dazzling smile was anything to go by, she didn’t really mind.

“Monkey D. Garp!? Hero of the marines!? _Vice Admiral Garp!?_ You’re tou-chan’s shishou!?”

“Bwahahaha! You got it, kid! You’ve obviously been raising this brat right if she knows who I am!” Garp said, turning towards his former student.

Hitoshi completely ignored the hole in the wall his shishou made and walked through the door like a normal person.

He then paused for a second. How  _did_  Selena know who Garp was? And on-sight too? Hitoshi was pretty sure he never mentioned Garp by name, usually calling him shishou or Vice Admiral when referring to him in conversation, but he could have slipped up without noticing. And he supposed Garp was in the papers pretty often; Selena probably learned who he was from there.

Selena then launched herself at her dad, interrupting his train of thought.

“Tou-chan! Vice Admiral Garp is your shishou!?” she asked, needing his confirmation.

“Uh yeah, he is,” he replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“He’s the one who taught you everything you know!?” Selena asked excitedly.

“Uh, I wouldn’t say _everything_ …” Hitoshi replied, throwing a panicked look towards Garp. He did _not_ need his shishou getting an even bigger ego.

“He’s the one who practically raised you and taught you how to be a good marine!?”

“Di-did I say that? I don’t know if I would go _that_ far,” Hitoshi, who by now was sporting a luminescent blush, responded. One look at his shishou showed that Garp was enjoying his discomfort immensely.

“He’s the man who you said is like a father to you!?”

Why was he letting his daughter talk!? Every sentence that came out of her mouth was more embarrassing than the last! It’s not like he had ever told _Garp_ any of these things. He was extremely grateful to the man, but Garp wasn’t someone he wanted to bare his soul to. He was sure Garp would be using all of this against him later.

At this point, Hitoshi was sure that if his face got any hotter it would catch on fire.

Garp decided to take pity on his student. “That’s my protege! Best student I’ve ever had!” There was no harm in making Hitoshi look good in front of his kid.

Besides, he was actually touched. He had done his best to be a good father to Dragon, but the truth was that his services were in too high demand for him to spend prolonged periods of time in the East Blue. He spent most of Dragon’s childhood chasing after Gol D. Roger in the New World. He had tried to instill good values in his son whenever he saw him, but it didn’t seem to take. Or maybe the issue was that Dragon embraced those values too whole-heartedly?

He was actually proud of his son for staying true to his beliefs and doing everything he could to make the world a better place. Not that he would ever say that out loud.

But that didn't change the fact that Dragon opposed him and everything he had dedicated his life to.

It had left a void in his life. He wanted to pass on his knowledge, to pass on his values, and hopefully teach the next generation how to be good marines. Although he had failed to do so with his son, he found fulfillment in teaching his students the necessary skills and beliefs needed to be successful in the Marine Corps.

He was very particular in who he took under his wing, knowing that the knowledge and power he shared with his students was coveted and very dangerous in the wrong hands. In his career as a marine he had instructed countless rookies and grunts, but he had only taken three students as his own. He taught them how to fight, how to strategize (which surprised a lot of people), to follow their own sense of justice, and of course, how to take a haki infused Fist of Love.

So yeah, it felt good to hear that Hitoshi thought of him like a father-figure. He was never going to let him live it down, and he was going to tease him mercilessly, but it felt good to hear.

“Hey!” Garp looked down, surprised to see the little limpet tugging on his pants. When did she get down? “Do you have any granddaughters?”

Oh how cute, she wanted to play with his grandkids?

“No.” Technically, he wasn’t lying. She hadn’t said anything about grandsons.

Selena gave a decisive nod. “Okay! It’s settled then! You’re my jiji now!”

Wait, what?

Hitoshi felt that it was time for him to cut in. “Selena, sweetheart, you can’t just-”

“Bwahaha! Alright!” Garp replied, completely unphased. He already had two grandchildren to look after, what’s one more? Also, he liked the idea of having a sweet little granddaughter. Luffy was adorable, but for some unknown reason was completely terrified whenever he saw his beloved Gramps. Ace, on the other hand, had started calling him “shitty geezer.” Having a granddaughter he could dote on and cuddle with sounded like a fantastic idea.

“-make someone… wait, what?!”

“Woohoo! Awesome!” Selena cheered. “Kaa-chan! Can I take jiji over to Kingsley’s house?”

They all turned to Etsuko to see what she made of this development. While everyone else had been distracted by the conversation, she had taken the time to grab a hard hat, repair the brick wall, and was now putting up some drywall.

“Why do you want to go over there? Dinner should be ready by now.”

Hitoshi clutched his hair. “You’re just going to go with this?!” he interjected. Everyone ignored him.

“I wanna show him that my jiji can totally beat up his jiji!” Selena shouted, adding a fist pump for emphasis.

“Bwahaha! Let’s go!” Garp shouted with just as much enthusiasm.

“What is happening!?” Hitoshi shouted, which everyone disregarded.

“That can wait until after dinner,” Etsuko said primly. The wall was back up, looking exactly like it had before the human disaster that was Monkey D. Garp had come along, and she was almost done sweeping up all of the debris.

“Awww, okay,” Garp and Selena said in perfect unison, shoulders slumped.

“And I would appreciate if you would use the front door in the future, Garp-san,” Etsuko said icily.

“Sure, sure,” Garp said easily. Etsuko’s glare had nothing on Tsuru’s. It was practically cute in comparison.

Feeling appeased, Etsuko breezed past him and made her way into the kitchen. She pulled the chicken out of the oven and called everyone over to eat.

Looking over everyone, she couldn’t help but feel happy that her family was back together. Selena was beaming at her new jiji and Hitoshi looked adorably overwhelmed. By the gods, she loved that man. Garp, who she supposed was part of the family now, was practically drooling over the admittedly delicious looking feast. She had really outdone herself.

“Alright everyone, dig in!” Etsuko proclaimed, setting the chicken down on the table with a flourish. It marked the beginning of the most rambunctious family dinner the household had ever seen.

Garp stuffed his face as he studied his new granddaughter. In looks, she was all Etsuko. Golden-brown skin which sported a healthy sun-kissed glow, shiny black hair that flowed down her back in soft waves, and big brown eyes that could melt Aokiji’s heart. The main difference between them was that while Etsuko had always been rather frail, Selena exuded vitality.

He had actually been quite surprised when Hitoshi had introduced him to Etsuko. At first, he thought that she was rather cold and not well-suited for his boisterous little student. After spending time with them together, however, he realized that they actually balanced each other out quite well. While Hitoshi was easily excitable and loudly conveyed his thoughts without hesitation, Etsuko was reserved and kept calm no matter the situation. Hitoshi brought excitement to Etsuko’s life, and Etsuko helped keep Hitoshi balanced and in check.

Garp had even noticed an improvement in Hitoshi’s fighting skill after they had gotten together. When he had asked him about it, Hitoshi had said that Etsuko helped him maintain focus. He felt like he was fighting to protect her, and couldn't be as reckless because he had someone to come home to. 

Garp could only imagine how much Hitoshi had improved now that he had a daughter to look after. His recent promotion was proof enough of that.

Garp listened to Selena chatter away as she told her father all that had happened while he had been away. She was going on about her friend Kingsley, her lessons, how she had learned to swim, and all the cool places she had visited on the island. It seemed like in personality she took after her father. Although, Garp was unsure of whether that was due to her age or not. His student had always exuded childish excitement, after all.

After describing an underwater cove she and Kingsley had found in excruciating detail, Selena turned to Garp with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Hey jiji, do you have any embarrassing stories from when tou-chan was your student?”

Yeah, that was his granddaughter alright.

“Oh, I’m sure shishou doesn’t have any stories like that,” Hitoshi interjected rather desperately.

“Bwahaha!”

Hitoshi’s hopes died a quick death.

“Do you want to hear about when he split his trousers in front of a whole platoon or about when he face-planted into a plate of spaghetti in front of the fleet admiral?”

“Both!” Selena cheered.

Hitoshi then turned to his wife for support. His beautiful, patient, kind, loving wife. “Dear, you don’t want to hear these stories, do you?”

Etsuko pulled out a bottle from seemingly nowhere in response. “I think these stories will go great with some saké.”

Hitoshi had never felt more betrayed in his life.

Unlike her father, Selena was having a great time.

By the end of dinner Selena had fourteen new embarrassing stories about her father’s time as a marine grunt, Garp had fallen asleep in his food three times, and the adults had gone through five bottles of saké.

She tried to protest when her mom had sent her off to bed, but her five year old body had betrayed her with a jaw-cracking yawn. She resignedly started to bid everyone goodnight.

The adults had moved to the rocking chairs on the front porch after dinner, where they continued drinking and had all started to smoke cigars. Apparently, this was a special occasion since her parents hadn’t seen Garp since their wedding. Selena figured that he must have used up all of his time off visiting Dawn Island to check up on Ace and Luffy. She idly wondered how old she was compared to them. She supposed she could check to see in what year Gol D. Roger had been executed and extrapolate from there, but that seemed like a lot of work.

Moving towards her mom, Selena stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Good night, kaa-chan. I love you.”

She next stepped up to her dad and held her arms up so he could scoop her up into his lap. “Good night, tou-chan. I love you,” she repeated, kissing him on his cheek.

Finally she stepped over to Garp and clambered up onto his lap. He was so tall that she then had to stand on his thighs to be able to throw her arms around his neck. “Goodnight, jiji. I love you. Welcome to the family.” She then kissed his nose, startling a laugh out of him. It wasn't one of his full-on belly laughs, but a soft chuckle she hadn't heard from him yet.

She hopped off his lap and started to head inside, pausing at the front door. “Tomorrow, we’ll go show Kingsley's jiji who’s boss!” she exclaimed before scampering off.

“That brat is something else,” Garp said rather softly. Well, softly for him anyways. People expected him to be one of those loud, happy drunks, but that usually wasn’t the case. Drinking usually made him calm; nothing mellowed him out like a few bottles of saké. Not that he had drank enough to actually get drunk, not even close, but he was feeling a good buzz.

Garp was sort of shocked at how easily Selena had wormed her way into his heart. He had only known her for a handful of hours, and he was already imagining how cute she would look in a marine uniform. To him, that was basically the equivalent of adopting the kid. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Garp had a soft spot for children. He _had_ adopted his adversary’s child as his own grandson, after all. He had hoped for more children of his own, but his dear wife had died giving birth to Dragon.

Now, he felt as if he was finally going to help raise the little girl he'd always wanted. She was feisty, adorable, and had even told him that she loved him. Not even his own brats had ever said that to him. Although, that might have been his own fault. It wasn't like he'd told Ace or Luffy that he loved them either. Well, he'd given them plenty Fists of Love - which of course was his way of showing he loved them, but he understood how they might not have seen it that way. He might have to try to use words next time.

“Yeah, she gets attached to people she likes very easily,” Hitoshi replied as Etsuko nodded along. “At first, we were kind of worried about her. She had no problem playing with the other kids on the island, but she didn’t really have any friends her age. We noticed that she developed faster than the other children so she really didn’t have much in common with them. If we asked her to or set up play dates she had no problem socializing, but it was obvious she wasn’t connecting to anyone but us.”

“We had thought we had done something wrong,” Etsuko continued. “That something we did while raising her prevented her from getting close to others. And then one day, she comes home with a little boy trailing behind her. She’s going on and on about her new best friend, meanwhile, the kid looks ready to flee and never come back.”

“We had tried introducing her to older kids before, since we figured her mental age was closer to theirs,” Hitoshi cut in. Garp was finding it amusing that they were talking like they were one person, picking up where the other had left off. “But none of the brats had wanted to be seen ‘hanging out with a baby’ so it never worked out. We were expecting this kid to cut and run, but to our surprise he showed up the next day ready to take Selena on another adventure. Kingsley and her have been like siblings ever since.”

“Seems like she’s growing up just fine to me,” Garp said. He didn’t even want to know what they would think of Ace if something so small had worried them. Then again, they were first time parents so it was understandable that any little thing became a cause for concern.

“We hope she didn’t offend you, Garp-san. She can come on a little strong at first,” Etsuko said, feeling cautious about the situation. It was obvious that their little angel already adored Garp, and she would be crushed if he treated the whole thing like a joke.

“No need to apologize, Etsuko. I was serious when I accepted her as my granddaughter,” Garp said, noting that Etsuko had sighed in relief. He was happy she wanted him to be a part of their family, and wasn’t just going along with what her daughter had said. He didn’t know Etsuko very well, but he hoped he could get to know her better when he came to visit his cute little granddaughter. “I won’t be able to be a constant presence in her life, but I’ll try to visit at least once a year. I’m going to have to bribe Senny with a lot of rice crackers just for that.”

He wanted to try to visit Ace and Luffy at least once a year anyways, so he hoped Senny wouldn't give him a hard time for extending his stay just a bit longer.

“I’m sure Selena will treasure any time you two could spend together,” Hitoshi said, surprised that Garp was willing to visit that often. He knew that his shishou was far from retired, and that he was usually stationed somewhere on the Grand Line. “We’ll make sure to explain how busy you are to her. Besides, I don’t think you can do any wrong in her eyes. It’s pretty obvious that she already idolizes you.”

“Bwahaha! The brat has good taste!”

* * *

Back inside the house, Selena was lying awake staring at her bedroom ceiling. She was having trouble staying up, but she really had to think everything through before facing everyone tomorrow morning. Damn her five year old body.

Thinking it over, she couldn’t really blame herself for not figuring out she was in the world of _One Piece_. It wasn't like she had seen a transponder snail or a devil fruit in action. There were hints here and there, like the lack of technology and places like Loguetown, but it wasn’t anything obvious. Loguetown was a pretty common name, and she had never heard of the Isle of Valhalla in the series. Sure, she would have been in for a shock once she had started learning geography, but at this point she was still learning how to read kanji!

She figured she hadn’t been reborn in the world she had lived in before, but what rational person would make the jump from their reality to a fictional world portrayed in an anime/manga?

That presented another problem. Was she in the manga or the anime? Or maybe some combination of both?

Selena knew she had acted impulsively this evening. It was a trait that had defined her in her past life, and was made even more prominent in this life. At least _before_ she had learned some self-control. In this five year old body however, it was like all of her impulses were magnified. She often spoke and acted without thinking.

Which is what happened when she met Garp.

She had thought to herself, _I wish he was my grandfather_. The desire had been born from what she had known about his character from _before_ and because she didn’t have any grandparents in this life. She had come from a huge extended family _before_ and she missed that.

One second she thought it, and the next she was claiming him as her jiji.

She hadn't realized all of the stories her dad had told her about his mentor were actually about  _Monkey D. Garp_. Her dad really looked up to him, and named him as the sole reason he had survived in the Marines. Her dad had enlisted really young, after he lost his whole family to a pirate raid on his home island. He had been angry and consumed by plans for vengeance. Out of all of the recent recruits, Garp had singled him out. He saw that Hitoshi had potential, and gave him an outlet for his anger that wouldn't get him killed. Ever since then, Garp had looked out for him and had trained him as one of his personal students. So not only had she respected the character from the original story, she had admired her father's mentor. Finding out that they were the same man had been too much for her, and had blinded her to any possible consequences.

She didn’t even want to think about the repercussions her actions might have, but she had to.

Worst case scenario: Garp brings Luffy to be raised on Valhalla immediately. He never meets Shanks. He never eats the gum-gum fruit and never becomes a rubberman. He never becomes king of the pirates.

A slightly more likely scenario: Instead of bringing Luffy to Dadan once he decides to become a pirate, Garp brings Luffy to Valhalla. Luffy never meets Ace. Luffy never meets Sabo. Luffy never learns how to control his powers. Luffy sets sail as soon as he can, not having a reason to wait until he was seventeen. He never meets any of the original Strawhats. Luffy never becomes king of the pirates.

Best case scenario: Garp never tells Luffy or Ace about her. He treats them exactly the same as he did in the original story, visiting when he’s supposed to. Nothing changes and the world doesn’t end.

Okay, maybe she was being a little melodramatic. Garp only showed up in the story a couple of times, and she had only known him for a day. It wasn't like that caused any drastic changes in personality or anything.

Besides, her being here might have already changed things. She didn’t remember Garp having any students besides Coby and Helmeppo in the story. Oh, and that Bogart guy. It was weird because she was pretty sure he was still Garp’s number two, but neither her dad nor Garp had mentioned him by name. Maybe they were helping him maintain his mysterious persona?

It was possible that her father had been one of the countless marines shown in the series, or maybe a faceless background extra on Garp’s ship, but it seemed unlikely.

Anyways, she could have potentially already changed the story just by being born. She was pretty sure her whole existence was a fluke; there was no way she was meant to be born here  _and_  with all of her previous memories on top of that. She had to be a mistake.

Well, she couldn't undo any of it now. What was done was done.

Her only saving grace was that Garp had been a minor character in the story. As long as she stayed away from all things Strawhat, everything should work out okay.

Besides, she was definitely giving herself too much credit. Sure, she had managed to wheedle her way into Garp's family. Although, it was possible he was just joking around with her and hadn't taken her seriously. It didn't seem likely, since it would be pretty in character for Garp to just go with it, but it was a possibility.

But what gave her the self-entitlement to think that she could manage to change anything? She wasn't even a _real_ character. She was the result of some cosmic accident. The Strawhat Pirates were destined for great things. Fate drew them together, and there was no way someone as insignificant as her would be able to interfere with that, accidentally or not.

Feeling better about the whole predicament at the cost of her self-esteem, Selena was finally able to drift off to sleep.

* * *

Selena woke up the next morning to the smell of bacon and raucous laughter. She got dressed quickly and sprinted towards the kitchen, last night’s dilemma already put behind her.

If there was one thing she liked about being five years old, it was how resilient she was. She had thought things through, figured out a solution, and was going to stick to it. There was no reason to overthink things and keep dwelling on it indefinitely.

Not slowing down in the slightest, Selena flung herself at Garp with a running leap.

“Jiji!” she exclaimed, snuggling into his chest.

“Bwahaha! Why are you so excited? You saw me a couple of hours ago!”

“How come you never get that excited to see me?” Hitoshi asked, not-so-secretly sulking.

Selena was 45% sure he was joking.

“Because I see you all the time!” she replied after settling down on Garp’s lap. “Besides, jiji is gonna beat up Kingsley’s grandpa for me!”

Garp winced. He had forgotten he had promised to do that. He also vaguely wondered what this old man had done to Selena that deserved getting wailed on by a vice admiral in retaliation.

“Sorry, angel,” Etsuko cut in. She was wearing her favorite frilly pink apron as she fried up more bacon. It was the girliest thing Selena had ever seen and she kind of loved it. “Garp-san needs to leave straightaway. His men are waiting for him back in Loguetown.”

Selena pouted and Garp felt his resolve crumbling. God help him if Luffy ever learned to use puppy-dog eyes like she did. He would be bowing to every one of their whims. He couldn’t picture Ace doing it though, for some reason.

“Don’t worry pup! I’ll get him next time I visit!” Garp added quickly. “It’ll give the old man some time to train and get ready for me.”

“You’re gonna visit again!?” Selena asked excitedly, her whole face lighting up. She really hadn’t expected him to come back.

“Bwahaha! Of course! What kind of grandfather do you think I am!?” Garp said, standing up and disentangling Selena from his arms so he could strike a heroic pose.

“The best kind!” Selena cheered, and Garp couldn’t help but get a warm feeling in his chest.

Feeling that this was a good time to leave, Hitoshi got up as well. Turning to Selena he said, “I’m going to give shishou a ride back to Loguetown, but when I get back I want to spend the day together.”

“Of course, tou-chan!” Selena replied. “I love you! Have a safe trip!” She then skipped over to Garp for one last hug. He bent down and scooped her up into his arms.

"Bye, jiji! I hope you go on lots of adventures and that you remember me and that you catch a lot of bad guys!" she said in a rush, while burying her face in the crook of his neck. She picked up the lingering scent of the cigars from last night, a hint of musky cologne, and the fresh sting of his aftershave.

“Of course, pup! You can count on me!” he said as he set her down. She had kind of forgotten about his whole dog theme since he wasn’t wearing his distinctive hat, but the nickname was growing on her.

“Bye, jiji! I love you!” she shouted from the front doorway, waving to their retreating backs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a lot planned out for this story, and I’m really excited to write it all out. I also want to give a shout out to Tsume-Yuki, who gave me great advice and encouraged me to write my own story. Her fic "Tell it to the Marines" is amazing, and if you haven’t read it already I really recommend it.
> 
> If you find any grammar mistakes or typos, please let me know! 
> 
> Last edited on 1/20/18.


	2. Backstory Unlocked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who commented, subscribed, and gave kudos to this story! I really appreciate it!

_Thirteen years before Romance Dawn_  

* * *

It had only been a few days since Selena had met Garp, and her life had already changed completely.

The realization that she was in _One Piece_ had really unnerved her. This world was filled with people of monstrous strength, devil fruit eaters, and sea monsters. She didn’t feel safe anymore.

Sure, her dad was a marine and was probably a badass since he was trained by Garp himself, but he wasn’t home most of the time. She didn’t know if her mom had any fighting capabilities, but in all honesty, it probably wouldn’t make a difference. Etsuko’s health was tenuous at best. As far as Selena could tell, her mother had been born with a weak immune system. She fell ill more than anyone else on the island, and even a common cold was liable to confine her to bed rest. Being constantly sick had taken a toll on her body.

Selena felt responsible for taking care of her, even though she was the child in the relationship.

Valhalla’s close vicinity to Loguetown ensured that they didn’t get a lot of visitors; no one stopped for supplies there when a huge merchant town was only a two hour sail away. Besides the odd group of marine recruits, who often came to party on the island away from the watchful eyes of their superiors, they didn’t see many foreigners.

This of course, had led to most of the people on the island feeling complacent about their safety and guarding their home from pirate attacks. No one bothered learning how to defend themselves since an attack on their home was so unlikely, and if the worst were to happen they could just send a message to the Loguetown base. Additionally, they felt even safer now that they had a marine captain living on the island.

Selena however, knew that things wouldn’t remain peaceful forever. Once Smoker got promoted, chances were that the pirate crews scared of his reputation would try to stock up on Valhalla instead of risking docking in Loguetown. Not to mention, the island itself was relatively close to the entrance to the Grand Line. If she remembered correctly, it had only taken the Strawhats a few hours to sail from Loguetown to Reverse Mountain.

She knew that she had to learn to defend herself.

A smaller part of her, but a part of her nonetheless, wanted to learn how to fight for more selfish reasons. She was born in a world of impossibilities. Swordsmen could cut steel, people could fly by kicking into the air, and with enough willpower anyone could turn their fists into lethal weapons. She wanted to see how strong she could become, what limitations of her past life she could surpass, and how hard she could push herself.

She wanted to be a badass.

She also knew how to take advantage of her resources. She had thought it over for the last couple of days, and she realized that she needed her dad to teach her how to fight. As much as she valued her independence, she realized she couldn’t do this on her own. After building up her courage, she asked her dad to go for a walk on the beach together. Selena had wanted to get some time with him alone because she had a feeling her mother wasn’t going to approve of her plan. Not because she didn’t want her daughter to get stronger, but because she was a bit too young to start training her body seriously. Selena wanted to get her dad to agree to train her before her mom could interfere.

She knew that she had to start training now if she wanted to reach her full potential. All of the best fighters in the series had started training really young: Zoro, Ace, Luffy and Sanji.

She knew it was unrealistic to try to compare herself to the main protagonists, but she really didn’t have any other frame of reference. It wasn't like she could compare her experiences from her past life to this one. The worlds were just too different.

She didn’t know what she would do if her dad said no. She would have to cobble together some sort of training routine herself, but there were so many things she couldn’t learn on her own. Plus, she had no idea how far she could push her five year old body without permanently damaging something. She needed her dad to say yes.

With that in mind, Selena started manipulating the conversation to best serve her interests. She first asked her dad about some of his “best fights.” She then got her dad to tell her some of Garp’s best war stories, under the guise of getting to know her new jiji. Finally she brought it all home by bringing up how “kaa-chan keeps getting sick.”

She felt like shit for being so emotionally manipulative, but she was doing this so that she could protect the people she cared about in the future. At least that’s what she told herself.

Hitoshi was saddened but not surprised by the fact that Etsuko had gotten sick again. She always did her best to hide it from Selena, so it must have gotten pretty bad for her to notice. He wished he could be home more often to help take care of her, but he really couldn't afford to take any more time off after this promotion. Not to mention that they really needed his sizable salary to pay for the constant doctor visits and medications. Etsuko made decent money running the family business, but they really needed the second income.

Turning towards his daughter, he noticed that Selena seemed to be lost in thought too. “What’s on your mind?”

“I want to be strong like you and jiji,” she said with determination. “I want to be able to protect our family.”

“What do you mean, sweetheart? You know I’ll always be there to protect you.”

“I know you would never let anything bad happen to me, tou-chan,” she replied with an uncharacteristically serious look on her face. “But you’re not always going to be here. Besides, I want to be able to protect the people I care about too.”

Seeing that he was wavering, she went in for the final blow.

“Will you help me be strong like you, tou-chan?”

Hitoshi was conflicted. On one side, he wondered what had happened to make Selena feel unsafe. She lived a very sheltered life. Probably too sheltered, if he was being honest with himself. He didn’t want her to feel like she couldn’t rely on the adults around her.

On the other side, he understood the need to get stronger. He had lost everything once, and he had promised himself he would get strong enough so that it would never happen again. Strong enough to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.

He would also feel a lot better knowing that his daughter could defend herself. Valhalla was such a peaceful island, but the sea was unpredictable and the winds were always changing. His home island had been peaceful and prosperous, which is why it had become such an easy target for pirates. It was his duty as a parent to teach her all the skills she would need to survive in this world.

In the end, he had the means and the knowledge to teach her. She wouldn’t be able to find a better instructor on the island; this was what he did for a living. The least he could do was teach her the basics.

He also knew that Selena had a stubborn streak (which he refused to believe she got from him) and that she would find a way to get stronger no matter what he decided. If he taught her himself he would be able to supervise her training, make sure she was learning good form, and that she didn’t hurt herself.

“Alright, sweetheart. I can teach you how to fight. But we’re going to start out nice and slow, and you have to listen to everything I say. Understood?”

“Yes, sensei!” Selena cheered. Operation: Get Ripped was a go!

Hitoshi knew he had probably worked himself up over nothing. This was probably just a phase she was going through, and she would forget all about it two weeks from now. He wasn’t going to push her; he would let her set the pace and give her tips here and there.

Now... how was he going to explain this to Etsuko?

* * *

Over the next couple of days, Hitoshi kept expecting Selena’s enthusiasm to die out.

To his complete surprise, she was taking her training more seriously than some of the recruits he instructed.

He worked with her closely everyday, making sure she was learning things the right way and not picking up any bad habits that would hinder her in the long run. They began with simple strength and endurance training, since he wanted to see where she was starting out from. He was pleased to note that Selena already had decent stamina, for a kid anyways. He supposed he had Kingsley and his island adventures to thank for that. He instructed her to start running laps every morning, and promised her that she would eventually be able to run faster and for longer periods of time.

For strength training, he started her out with a basic circuit routine that used her body weight for resistance. He included push-ups, burpees, pull-ups, squats, and a myriad of core exercises. That way she would learn how to do the exercises properly on her own, and had some variety to choose from if she decided to train when he was called back to the base. He made her swear not to try lifting weights until she was a teenager, taking the time to explain how it could stunt her growth.

She seemed to pick up everything quickly and maintained an intense focus he had never seen in his daughter before. While he had been hesitant to teach her at first, he couldn’t help but be proud of the progress she was making. She was training with the single-minded determination he prided in himself, and it made him feel good to know he had passed that on to his daughter. He didn’t want to push her into a career she didn’t choose for herself, but seeing her try so hard made him wonder if she was going to follow in his footsteps and become a marine. He knew Garp would be thrilled if that happened, but he was careful not to voice his hopes out loud. He wanted her to be in control of her own future, and didn’t want to be one of those overbearing parents that controlled their child’s life.

After a week of seeing her train without complaint, any doubt he had completely vanished. Not only did she do whatever he instructed her to, she went above and beyond. He had wanted to ease her into training, knowing that her little muscles would be incredibly sore since she hadn’t been used to such strenuous activity, but Selena hadn’t wanted to take it easy. Whatever exercises he had set for her, she _doubled_. Even though he knew she was sore - he could see it in the way her limbs would shake when pushed past their limits - she constantly asked him for more.

After only a week, he had run out of basic exercises he could show her. She had even asked him to teach her exercises she could work up to, that her body couldn’t handle right now. She said she would use them as goals she could work towards. He had demonstrated different types of handstand push-ups, chin-ups, and had even thrown in a Moonwalk for good measure. Of course he had made her promise not to try any of these without him there to supervise, but he had been proud to see the fiery determination in her eyes. He felt invigorated knowing he was teaching his daughter to be strong, and that one day she would be able to protect herself without having to rely on anyone.

Selena, on the other hand, was exhausted.

Happy, but exhausted. She was pretty sure she had worked harder in the last three weeks than she had in the past five years of her life combined.

Pushed by the realization that she had been reborn into a world where literally everyone was out to get her, she had worked non-stop. She had to make the most of her dad’s time off, and learn enough so that she could pick up her training once he went back to Loguetown. She had been irritated with the pace he had set at the beginning - she knew she was five, but he wasn’t even trying to push her. So any exercise he asked her to do, she doubled. What she hadn’t been expecting was her father’s reaction. She had just wanted to show him that she was capable of more, that he didn’t have to treat her like a _baby_ , but he seemed to be proud of her little act of defiance.

It was like the harder she worked, the more he wanted to push her limits.

So she kept pushing. Every time they finished a circuit, she asked for a new exercise. Every time he had shouted “last lap!” when she ran by him, she ran three more for good measure. Even when he showed her things she wasn’t strong enough to do, she asked him to demonstrate more so she could learn to do them too one day.

Don’t get her wrong;  _it was hard_. But every time she felt her muscles aching and crying out for her to stop, she pictured the countless self-serving pirates that would kill her without a second thought. Every time she gasped for breath, her lungs screaming for air, she would picture corrupt marines who cared more about money than the lives of the citizens they had sworn to protect. Every time she felt like she was dying, like she couldn’t push herself any more, she pictured the celestial dragons who controlled the world and could enslave her with a snap of their fingers.

So she never complained. Because even though she hurt all over and collapsed into her bed every night exhausted, her dad was giving her the tools she needed to survive in this world. Not only was he training her, but he taught her how to do the exercises on her own so she could build her own workout routine and train herself when he was gone.

After two weeks of drilling her in the basics, her dad rewarded her hard work by beginning to teach her basic kata. Her moves were clumsy and slow, but she seemed to have a good memory for remembering steps. Her dad walked her through ten different kata that week, making sure her form was perfect even though her movements were rigid and her transitions were awkward.

She learned so much from him. She now knew the proper way to kick and punch, a bunch of new exercises she had never known existed, and how to properly monitor her body so she wouldn’t hurt herself when trying to push past her limits. She had even improved on some of the exercises she had done in her past life. Apparently her form had been horrible and she had been doing them wrong; she was actually surprised she had never injured herself when she had gone through one of her fitness phases.

That was another thing she had learned to adapt to. In her past life, exercising had been a way for her to release stress and to stay in shape. She hadn’t been consistent with it; she had been one of those people who sign up for the gym when summer came rolling around, but forgot about working out when her life got busy with other things. She couldn’t afford to think that way anymore. Here, in this life, training meant survival. She needed to be strong to protect her family, but also to be able to follow her dream.

Ever since she realized she was in _One Piece_ she couldn’t stop thinking of the words played before the first opening of the anime. Fame, wealth, and power would be nice, but they weren’t things she would seek out for herself. What intrigued her had been the next bit… _everything this world had to offer_. That’s what her heart yearned for: adventure. This world was incredible, and she wanted to see it all with her own eyes. Mermaids, giants, sea kings, dinosaurs, the mink tribe, impossible islands… she wanted to see them all.

Her past life had been good, but it had also been perfectly ordinary. She felt like she appreciated the impossibilities of this world more than anyone else living in it because she knew what it was like to live in a world where these things didn’t exist. Sure, the people living in the Blues thought them all to be myths and rumors, but they had still grown up hearing about them. To her, this world was new and magical, and she wanted to explore every bit of it. And to do so, she would have to be strong.

Oh, she was still going to avoid the Strawhats with a vengeance. A place with them, if by some miracle she managed to catch their attention, would be a guaranteed adventure where she would get to experience everything she wanted. But it could also ruin everything. Sure, there were things she wanted to change for the better (Ace). And there were a few people that didn’t deserve what happened to them (Ace). And she would love the chance to meet some of her favorite characters (Ace). But her presence there would cause changes that would be unpredictable. As much as she wanted to make things better, she could easily cause problems. The last thing she wanted was to live in a world ruled by Doflamingo. Or worse, Blackbeard.

So she would get strong by her own right and forge her own path.

Those three weeks passed by quickly. Her life had fallen into a routine, and time seemed to fly by since she was so busy. Her only regret was that she barely saw Kingsley anymore, but she had to take advantage of her dad’s expertise while he was there. She had even stuck to her routine on her birthday, the only difference being that her mom had cooked her favorite meal for dinner and they had enjoyed cake for dessert. She woke up everyday at sunrise to eat breakfast with the family then sit through lessons with her mom. Once that was done she trained with her dad until the evening, only taking a small break for lunch. Afterwards, she would wash up, eat dinner, then go help her mom with the family business.

Her mom owned a bar/restaurant called Mama's Place. It had been passed down her family for generations, and it had always been her mom's dream to take over the family business. It was decently sized and was kept immaculately clean by Etsuko. It had an eclectic vibe, since part of the family tradition was for each owner to add on to the restaurant or personalize it in some way.

None of the furniture matched, but it all seemed to _go_ together _._ The center of the restaurant housed traditional round tables of different sizes and dining chairs, foregoing tablecloths to leave the beautiful mahogany wood on display. Etsuko’s grandfather had carved out the chairs and tables himself, engraving the legs and edges with a beautiful vine design.

The side of the restaurant was lined with booths, each one sporting a different jewel tone. The tables matched the ones in the center, but these were rectangular instead of round. Etsuko's great-grandmother had done the upholstery herself, picking out different shades of blue, green, and purple that were dark enough that they wouldn't stain but vibrant enough that they would add color to the room.

The other side of the restaurant had been designed by Etsuko herself. Three large couches were lined against the wall. They matched the color scheme of the booths, although no two pieces were the exact same shade. Each sofa was accompanied by two plush armchairs and a coffee table, which helped divide the area into three sections. Each section had the illusion of privacy, since the seats surrounded a coffee table and faced each other. All of the coffee tables were different, each one salvaged from thrift shops in Loguetown. Customers enjoyed the living room type atmosphere, and they were usually the first seats to be filled up.

Etsuko’s father had built the bar situated in the back of the room. He had carved it with a leaf design similar to her grandfather’s vine one, but he had added intricate roses to make the bar the focal point of the room. He had also built the shelves lining the back wall that held their most expensive liquor, along with the bookshelves that spotted the room. He had filled the bookshelves with his favorite adventure and fantasy novels, which Etsuko had added to when she inherited the place.

Selena had even already added her own touch to the family business, coming up with the idea to place candles on the center of each table in the evenings. It really changed the atmosphere, and Etsuko loved how the restaurant seemed to transform every night for dinner. She also noticed an increased number of couples enjoying the romantic lighting during the dinner rush.

Selena had also added board games and decks of cards to each of the bookshelves, so even groups could find a source of entertainment if they wanted to. Etsuko noticed that her daughter had an uncanny ability to turn anything into a drinking game, which had led to adults of all ages enjoying the board games. There was something just so fun about turning something so childish into a drinking game. Etsuko had written down the rules Selena had come up with for the drinking games in her best calligraphy, framed them, and hung them up. She had seen a huge increase in profits ever since then. Not only did it draw in new customers, who had been told about Mama's Place from their friends, but it also meant people were buying a lot more liquor.

Her daughter was only five, and was already turning out to be a great businesswoman.

It made her so happy to see her kid growing up in the restaurant like she had. Selena was a natural when it came to business, and seemed to enjoy chatting with the customers and meeting new people. She would have loved to see her daughter inherit the business, but even now Etsuko could tell that her little angel was too free-spirited to be tied down to the restaurant. It had been _her_ dream to own Mama’s, to share her family’s recipes with the community, to inherit her family’s legacy. She was getting to live her dream. She understood the need to allow Selena to live hers, whatever that may be.

But for now, she was enjoying seeing Selena’s childhood mimic hers. She loved having her family close, and seeing Selena’s head bobbing up in between tables as she delivered meals made her ridiculously happy. Not that it ever really showed on her face, since she wasn’t the type to share her emotions with the world, but her life couldn’t be any more perfect right now. Her husband had even taken to manning the bar during the evenings, which gave her more time in the kitchen and really lightened her load. If it was up to her, she would spend the rest of her life like this.

Unfortunately, her husband would be going back to work in a week. She couldn’t hold it against him though, knowing that he was getting to live _his_ dream.

* * *

Hitoshi shook Selena awake. He felt kind of bad for disrupting her when she looked so peaceful, but that guilt quickly switched to amusement when Selena popped up, fists in a fighting position, with half of her hair plastered to her face.

Selena was really confused. One minute she had been trying to get a bucking sea king in a chokehold, and the next she was tangled in her bed sheets facing her snickering father.

“Wuh? What’s going on?” she managed to get out before stifling a yawn.

“Up and at ‘em, sweetheart! We’re going on a trip!” he exclaimed, far too cheerily.

“We are?”

“Yup! It’s your birthday present!”

“I thought the book was my present,” she stated, while fighting the urge to snuggle back into her blankets. Her dad had gifted her with a book filled with illustrations of almost a hundred kata and descriptions of different fighting styles. The pictures were absolutely beautiful, and she knew the book was going to be very useful in the future.

“That was only part of it! We’re going on an adventure! Somewhere you’ve never gone before!”

“Wait, we’re not going to Loguetown?! Where are we going?!” she almost yelled. She had assumed they were going to the market or something for the day.

“I’m not telling!” her dad sing-songed. “It’s a surprise!”

“How do I know what to pack then?”

“Your mother has already packed for you. Now get dressed, go kiss her goodbye, and we’ll be on our way!”

She stumbled around her room, trying to pick out an outfit that would work in any situation. She settled on her denim overalls thrown over a plain white t-shirt and her gladiator sandals. She was ridiculously excited, since she had rarely ever left the island. The only place she had visited was Loguetown; once to go shopping with her mother and once to visit her father at the base.

She knew that they must be going somewhere close by, since her dad was due to report back at the base in a week. Unfortunately, she didn’t know anything about the geography of this world. Her mom was in control of her education, and so far it seemed Etsuko placed a higher priority on learning about literature than anything else. It wasn't like she was following a curriculum or anything.

She had actually asked her mom about education in this world a few days ago, and apparently only the children of nobles could afford to go to school. Most noble families hired private tutors to educate their children, but in big cities like Goa, there were a few select private and boarding schools kids could attend if they could afford it and had the “proper lineage.” So even if merchants or other middle class parents wanted to enroll their children, they would have to pass a genealogy test ensuring their noble blood. After all, nobles couldn’t have their heirs interacting with children “below their station.” Her mom hadn’t gone into too much detail, but from what she could tell, the schools were basically for the noble kids to network with other nobles. They attended class but their main priority was to make good connections for their families. Ideally, they would use the chance to mingle with the children of influential nobles while they were still young and arrange a marriage that would elevate their family’s status. The whole thing was gross.

In all honesty, she was glad her mom was teaching her. She missed the school atmosphere and how the classroom environment made it easy for kids to make friends their age, but she got to spend more time with her mom this way. It also showed her what her mom valued. The books Etsuko had assigned told Selena what her mom thought about morality, personality traits she admired, and what she valued in life. It showed her another side to her mom that she wouldn't have learned about otherwise. Hopefully her mom would get around to teaching her geography though.

She ran a brush through her thick, wavy hair as she tried to remember East Blue islands that were featured in the series. Maybe they would be going to Shells Town? It would be so cool to see the place where the Strawhat crew was born. She took one last look in the mirror, then ran down the hall to her parents' room. She wished that her mother could go with them, but someone had to stay to run the restaurant.

She ran up to her mom, who was still lying in bed since the sun hadn’t risen yet, and wrapped her up in a tight hug. She had actually never been away from her mother for more than a day. Even when she had gone on the day trip to Loguetown to tour her dad’s base, her mom had closed the restaurant and had gone with her. The trip must be for longer than a couple of days if Etsuko was unwilling to close.

“Bye kaa-chan! I’ll miss you!”

“Goodbye, angel. Have fun on your adventure. I love you,” she responded sleepily.

“I love you too!” she whispered back, letting her mom fall back to sleep.

She then ran out of the bedroom, through the house, out the front door, and into her father’s waiting arms. He placed her upon his shoulders, then passed up the backpack her mother had prepared for her. Excitement buzzing in her veins, she couldn’t help but pester her dad with questions while they made their way down to the docks.

His answer to every one of her questions was “it’s a surprise!”

She pouted and puffed out her cheeks. Sometimes he could be so annoying.

Her excitement doubled when they boarded her father’s sailboat. It was a small boat with a single white sail and a cabin. Inside, there were two small cots and a bathroom. Her father used this boat to sail back and forth between Loguetown. Despite him owning it since before she was born, she had never been aboard. Her two trips to Loguetown had been made on the ferryboat that was based in Valhalla. It made a trip to Loguetown and back once in the morning and once in the evening. A lot of the locals used it to buy supplies needed for their farms and businesses instead of having their supplies shipped directly to the island since it was so much cheaper. Her mother usually made the trip once a month, since she could buy the bulk of the produce and liquor they needed for the restaurant at the local distillery and farmer’s market.

Once aboard, Hitoshi got to work. He was used to sailing this boat by himself, so maneuvering it out of the bay was practically second nature to him. He was pleased to find that they had a tailwind and that the currents were working in their favor. They should be able to make it to their destination in two days. The benefit of having such a small boat, besides the fact that he could sail it on his own, was that it was fast.

Turning towards his cute little daughter so he could tease her some more, he found that she had fallen back to sleep propped up against the mast. With a soft smile on his face, he picked her up and carried her to the cabin. He could always find time to tease her later.

* * *

By the morning of the third day of their little adventure, Selena was dying with anticipation.

She had been trying to hold her tongue for the last couple of days, knowing how annoying she could be if she just ran with her childish impulses. She had done her best to distract herself by keeping up with her training, but there was only so much she could do on such a small boat. Plus, she knew that her dad was enjoying drawing this out for so long.

“Come _on_ , tou-chan! You said we would be docking in two hours! Enough is enough! Where are we goiiiing?” she whined. What? She was five years old! She’s allowed to act like that.

Hitoshi chuckled.

“Alright, alright. I guess you _have_ been pretty patient,” he said, running a hand through his teal locks. “We’re going to be visiting the Conomi Islands! Cocoyashi Village, to be specific. A friend of mine lives there with her two daughters. We were both shishou’s students, so we spent a lot of time together and got to know each other really well. Seeing him the other day after so long made me realize how much I missed her, so I sent her a letter asking if we could visit.”

She gaped up at him. He couldn’t be talking about who she thought he was talking about, could he?

“Oh! And we realized that you’re the same age as one of her daughters and thought it would be good to introduce you two. I know you have Kingsley, but it would be good for you to branch out a bit and make more friends.”

She plastered a fake smile on her face.

“Woohoo! I’m so pumped! I’m going to nap the rest of the way so I can have energy for our adventure, okay?”

“Sure thing, sweetheart. I’ll wake you up when we’re close,” he said, deciding not to comment on the fact that there was no way she could be tired since they had woken up a short while ago. Had he said something wrong? Maybe she had taken his comment as an insult to Kingsley? He knew that his daughter was ridiculously loyal to him, so it was possible. He sighed.

To his surprise, instead of going down the stairs and into the cabin like he had expected, she laid out in the sun and closed her eyes.

Selena didn’t know what the hell she was going to do, and she had less than two hours to figure it out.

It hadn’t been even a month since she discovered she was in _One Piece_ and vowed to stay away from all things Strawhat.

And now here she was, on her way to Nami’s house.

There was no way her dad had been talking about anybody else. And what was up with that? The series had never alluded to the fact that Bellemère had been Garp’s student! Does that mean that she’s in some sort of alternate universe, or that she somehow unlocked a secret backstory that was never shown in the original story?

Now that she thought about it, it _was_  possible that she had been a part of the original story as well and just wasn’t considered important enough to add in. It was a small chance, but since it meant she might not have fucked the world over yet she was going to hold on to it.

The problem was that the more she interacted with canon characters the less likely it became that Oda had edited her out. The more characters she met, the more time she spent with them, the more she influenced  _their_  stories, the more likely it became that she was a new addition in this world. A fluke. A mistake. An unknown variable.

She really needed to save the existential crisis for later and figure out what she was going to do now.

It was funny how she was acting like she had a choice. It wasn't like she was going to ignore or be mean to an innocent little girl just because she will one day be part of crew that will change the world. Especially when that little girl was  _Nami_ , someone who suffered (will suffer?) so much in the series. Selena had always admired Nami _before_. She sacrificed everything for the people she loved. She lived _for them_ at the cost of her own happiness.

Her five year old self had acted rashly when faced with Garp, but that had been sprung on her. If she chose to befriend Nami now, it would be a conscious choice. She wouldn't be able to later blame it on her impulsivity. She needed to consider the consequences very carefully.

How could having a childhood friend (if Nami even wanted to be her friend after she met her) change Nami’s fate? For all Selena knew, Nami could have hundreds of friends in Cocoyashi Village. What would one more change? She didn’t think they would see each other often enough for Nami’s personality to be changed or influenced in any way; they lived on different islands, after all. Besides, maybe Selena would be able to help ease her burden when the time came? Maybe having a friend she could talk to once the whole Arlong disaster happened could help her in some way?

If there was some way to make Nami’s life even a little bit better, she wanted to help.

 _Before_ , Selena had been a huge fan of _One Piece_. She hadn't gone to conventions or dressed up in cosplay, but she had watched all of the anime and read the manga up to the Zou arc. The story had brought her a lot of joy, especially when she needed it most. _One Piece_ became her escape when life was too much for her, when she just needed to check out from the world for a little bit. It may sound silly, but the original story had helped her get through the toughest times in her life. She felt like she owed the Strawhat crew for always being there for her.

She knew it sounded like she was backtracking and going against her resolve to not interfere with the main cast, but she couldn't help but want to make their lives a little bit better if she could. She was still set against joining the crew. Not that she really had anything to offer them as a crew member, but if the situation arose for some ridiculous contrived reason, she would refuse to join. She was drawing the line there. So for now, she was going to try to help Nami if she got the chance. Same with any other Strawhat she may meet in the future, no matter how small the chances of her meeting _another_ one were. She may have been playing with fire, but like with Garp, she didn't really believe she had the power to knock the story off course. She was a background character at best, someone who wasn't even worth mentioning in the original story.

Feeling better now that the matter was resolved, she decided to use the rest of the time they had left before reaching Cocoyashi Village to meditate. It was something she had started practicing soon after she started training. She found that meditation helped clear her mind and enhanced her focus, improving her performance in both her lessons with her mom and training with her dad. Her dad had even noticed how quickly she had begun improving her kata after meditation became part of her morning routine. When she explained what she had started doing differently, he had strongly approved. Apparently Etsuko had taught him how to meditate when they had started dating and it really improved his focus when on the battlefield.

Letting herself fall into a mindless trance, she completely lost track of time. The next thing she knew, she was being woken up by her dad. Oh, had she accidentally fallen asleep when meditating again? She huffed. She really needed to work on that. Half of her meditation sessions ended up turning into nap time.

“Are we there yet, tou-chan?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Yup! I'm docking the boat now. I just wanted to give you a chance to change before we head into town.”

She blinked slowly, trying to take in her dad’s outfit. He had changed into a hot pink Hawaiian shirt, which clashed horribly with his teal hair but complimented his tan. Spending two days sailing in the sunshine had done wonders for his complexion. He now sported a light golden tan, which gave him a healthy glow. He paired the obnoxious shirt with white board shorts and flip-flops, completing his touristy look.

“Tou-chan, why are you dressed like that?” Her dad’s fashion sense had never been great, but this outfit was taking it to new lows.

“Because we're on vacation. Duh.”

She didn't even dignify that with a response. She decided to change back into her overalls and white t-shirt, keeping her outfit simple in contrast to her dad’s attention grabbing look.

Noticing that her dad had dropped anchor and the boat had been moored to the dock, she quickly laced up her gladiator sandals and jumped onto the boardwalk.

Hitoshi chuckled at her exuberance, happy that she was excited about the trip again and that the weird mood from that morning had dissipated.

Selena reached up and grabbed her dad’s hand. She might have been excited about exploring a new island, but she was also wary of getting lost somewhere she didn't know her way around.

It was a short walk from the docks to Cocoyashi. They took their time looking around, buying snacks from street vendors and window shopping.

It seemed like Cocoyashi was around the same size as her village. Valhalla was a little more densely populated, and might have been a little bit bigger, but it was the only village on the whole island (which is why the town and island went by the same name, like Loguetown). Cocoyashi was a bit smaller, but got more visitors since they traded with the other villages on the Conomi Islands and were frequently visited by merchants who bought the fruits grown there. The Conomi Islands were well-known for their fertile soil and abundant harvests.

After a while of wandering around aimlessly, Selena finally decided to ask what was on her mind.

“Tou-chan… you have no idea where you're going, do you?”

"Haha, nope!" he responded, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I've never actually visited my friend's home before. We might have to ask around."

Selena sighed.

She walked over to the nearest street vendor, who was selling ice pops. Pulling out some cash from the front pocket of her overalls, she picked out a red one. She took a cautionary lick and was delighted to find that it had a sweet, synthetic cherry flavor which tasted nothing like real cherries. Actually, now that she thought about it, it tasted almost exactly like red jolly ranchers.

“Excuse me, sir?” she asked the vendor as she handed over the money, “Do you know where we can find…”

She paused, unsure if her dad had mentioned Bellemère by name or not.

“Bellemère,” her dad finished for her. “I'm a friend of hers from her marine days.”

“Oh, sure,” the vendor responded, relaxing when he heard that they were Bellemère’s friends.

They listened to the directions and thanked him, then made their way to the edge of town. Selena tried to memorize the route as they went along, excited to recognize a place that was featured in the series.

They made their way up over a final hill and were greeted by the sight of Bellemère’s tangerine grove. There were rows of trees as far as the eye could see, looking much bigger in real life than it had in the anime. They followed a well-traveled path to a small cottage, from which they heard laughter and shrieking.

She could barely contain her excitement now. She was about to meet Bellemère, Nojiko, and Nami! All three were total badasses! She wondered whether she was the same age as Nami or Nojiko, since her dad never specified. Maybe he had never met Bellemère’s daughters?

Okay, she had waited long enough now. Shooting her dad a dazzling smile, she ran on ahead and knocked on the door.

Abruptly, all of the noise coming from the house stopped. Selena strained her hearing to find out what was going on.

“Was that a knock on the door?” she heard Bellemère ask. At least, she assumed the woman’s voice was Bellemère’s.

“Does that mean we actually have guests?!” she heard a little girl shout.

“Does that mean Bellemère wasn’t lying about having friends!?” she heard another girl ask.

Selena couldn’t hold back her snickering.

Her dad had joined her at the entryway by the time the door opened.

“Well, well, well. I’m surprised you actually came, Toshi-chan,” Bellemère said.

Unlike Garp, who looked exactly like his character come to life, Bellemère looked a lot edgier in person. Her fuschia mohawk was a bit longer than how it was portrayed, especially the pieces at the front that hung over one side of her forehead. She could see where Oda got the idea for awkward bangs, but he hadn’t done her justice. The sides were buzzed short except for the long pieces that hung in front of her ears. She had multiple silver studs in both of her ears, and was wearing a soft blue flannel shirt with jeans.

Peeking out from behind Bellemère's legs were chibi Nami and Nojiko, who had matching bob haircuts. Nami looked adorable with her bright orange hair and huge brown eyes that just seemed to draw people in. Nojiko looked equally cute with her periwinkle hair and button nose. They were both wearing white t-shirt dresses: Nojiko's sported a sunflower and Nami's had a cartoon bear on it. Just by looking at them she could tell Nami was about her age while Nojiko was a few years older.

“Come on Bellemère! You’re still calling me that after all this time?” Hitoshi groaned.

“What? You thought that since you’re a big bad captain now I was going to treat you differently? Not a chance! You’ll always be Toshi-chan to me!” she said, pulling him into a bear hug.

Hitoshi chuckled good-naturedly. “I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything different from you.”

He turned to Selena, who had been laughing at his expense, and pushed her in front of him. “Bellemère, I’d like to introduce you to my daughter. This is Selena.”

“It’s nice to meet you all. I hope we can be friends,” she said politely, still trying to stifle her giggles.

"And these are my daughters, Nami and Nojiko," Bellemère said, placing a hand on each of their heads as she introduced them.

“Don’t worry,” Nami said, looking directly at Selena. “I _know_ we’re going to be friends. The best of friends! Since your dad and our Bellemère are best friends, then we are too.”

“That’s not how it works, Nami,” Nojiko said dryly. “You can’t just declare that she’s our best friend and be done with it.”

Nami shrugged her off. “We’ll see who’s right by the end of their stay.”

“Oh, I think I like you guys already,” Selena chimed in.

“Hahaha! You see? They’re getting along already! You were worried over nothing Bellemère!” Hitoshi said as they walked into the cottage.

“Me?! You were the one who was worried!” Bellemère retorted.

“Follow us Selena, you can get settled in while the adults argue,” Nami said, pulling Selena along by the hand.

“Yeah, Bellemère can go on for a while when she gets like this,” Nojiko added.

“My dad is the same way,” Selena lamented.

“HEY!” the two adults shouted in unison, then turned away from each other embarrassedly.

The three girls couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up you twerps,” Bellemère said with a crooked smile on her face. “This might have been a bad idea, Toshi-chan. My terrible duo just turned into a trio. I have a hard enough time keeping these two out of trouble.”

“Haha! You might be right!” Hitoshi said. “I guess we’re just going to have to live with the consequences.”

After they settled in, which took two seconds since all they did was dump their packs on the pullout couch, Bellemère sent them outside to play while she cooked dinner and caught up with Hitoshi. Selena figured that they were going to gossip about all of their old marine buddies and hadn't wanted to do it in front of the kids in fear of ruining their tough image.

Nami and Nojiko gave Selena a tour of the town, giving her a much better sense of what Cocoyashi was like. They showed her the best clothing shops, which vendors made the best sweets, and all of the best shortcuts. She was surprised at how well she got on with the two sisters. Normally, she didn't mesh well with kids her age since she wasn't your average five year old… but neither was Nami. She was incredibly intelligent for her age and was pretty mature. She remembered Oda saying _before_ that Nami was the third smartest person in the East Blue, only surpassed by Captain Kuro and Benn Beckmann. She was naturally quick and extremely perceptive.

Nojiko kind of reminded her of Kingsley, in that exasperated older sibling type of way. She tailed after the two younger girls and made sure they stayed out of trouble. Although she gave off the air of concerned babysitter, it was obvious she was also having fun running all over town. She had a rather dry sense of humor that Selena loved, and was so quick-witted that she talked circles around most of the adults they ran into. Selena made a mental note to never get into an argument with Nojiko, unless she wanted to get a verbal ass-whooping.

They raced back to the cottage a bit after the sun had set, giggling and out of breath.

Selena had won by a good margin, tapping the front of the house and throwing up double victory signs. Nami and Nojiko caught up around thirty seconds later, Nojiko edging out Nami by a few seconds.

“No fair!” Nami pouted. “Your legs are so much longer than mine!”

“What's your excuse for losing to Selena? She's the same size as you,” Nojiko retorted.

Nami looked at Selena from the corner of her eyes. “She's just freakishly fast.”

“Aww, don't be sad!” Selena said, throwing her arm over Nami’s shoulders. “I've been training really hard to get faster.”

Nami was about to respond when all emotion left her face and she slowly turned her head to face Selena.

“Selena.”

“Yes, Nami?”

“Why are you so sweaty?!” she screamed, as she threw Selena’s arm off of her.

“Eh?! We just ran really far! You're sweaty too!”

Nojiko laughed, enjoying her sister’s and new friend's misery.

“Why are laughing, Nojiko?” Nami asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.

“I think we need to spread the love, don't you?” Selena said to Nami, a cheeky smile making it’s way onto her face.

“Get her!” Nami yelled.

“No! Please! Mercy!” Nojiko yelled as she dodged the younger girls.

They ended up rolling around in a dog pile, unsure whose limb was whose, but laughing too hard to care.

Unknown to them, Bellemère and Hitoshi watched from the front door.

“I told you this was a good idea,” Hitoshi told her, happy to see his daughter getting along so well with Bellemère’s kids.

“They're rolling around in the dirt like drunk piglets,” she snorted, her harsh tone contrasting the soft smile on her face.

“Would it kill you to say I was right for once?” he replied.

“Yes,” she said with a teasing smile, hip checking him as she passed by to disentangle the kids.

“Alright, kiddos! Let's go get washed up before dinner,” she said, hoisting up Nami with one arm, Nojiko with the other, and Selena riding piggyback behind her.

It had taken Selena a while to get used to bathing with other people. It had been a complete culture shock when it had first happened, but after five years it had become commonplace. Bellemère had dumped the three girls in tub, locked the door behind her, and left them to their own devices. Two splash fights and three bubble beards later, they exited the bathroom dressed in their pajamas since it had gotten pretty late and they were probably going to bed soon after dinner.

After arguing over who was going to sit where (ending with Selena in between Nojiko and Nami while the adults sat across from them), they dug into the delicious meal prepared by Bellemère.

Selena was really enjoying the tangy and citrusy tastes Bellemère incorporated into each dish, and made sure to shower her in compliments. She also loved seeing how Bellemère and her dad interacted. She would tease him and he would snipe back; Selena hadn’t seen him act like that around anyone. Even when he brought over his fellow marine officers for dinner back on Valhalla, he never let loose like this. Those other officers were comrades in arms and his colleagues, but what her dad had with Bellemère was genuine friendship.

It made her wonder how they could go so long without seeing each other when they were both in the East Blue and relatively close.

Selena interrupted an argument Bellemère and her dad were having over who had the better right hook. It seemed like they were going nowhere with that.

“So!” she said loudly, speaking over the two adults squabbling like kids. “How did you guys meet?”

“Mind if I take this one, Toshi-chan?” Bellemère asked.

He motioned for her to go on.

“Well, when I was sixteen I got it into my head that I wanted to join the Marines. Mind you, I was a rebellious little shit back then. I had no respect for authority and no discipline whatsoever, but I wanted to make a difference in the world. All of the villagers wanted to stop me, but my mind had been set.”

She paused to take a dramatic sip of her drink.

“I went over to the sixteenth branch, which has jurisdiction over the Conomi Islands, and enlisted. I heard that branch has gone to shit, by the way,” she said, addressing the last bit to Hitoshi.

“Oh, we know. The chain of command is in total disarray over there. They wanted me to take over when I got promoted but I wanted to stay close to Valhalla.”

Selena almost spit out her drink. Her dad was supposed to take over the sixteenth branch?! Her memory for small details wasn’t great, especially since it had been so many years since she had read the original story, but wasn’t the sixteenth branch the rat base? Where that shitstain Nezumi was captain? Did that mean that in the original story her dad had been in command of that base when Arlong took over? Without a kid to look after, would he have been willing to take over a base bit farther from home? He wouldn’t have taken a bribe like Nezumi, he would have stood and fought. Especially if he had found out what had happened to his old friend. He would have been fighting Arlong fresh out of the Grand Line, an officer of the Sun Pirates, before he had gotten lazy and complacent from being in the East Blue for so long.

Is that why her dad wasn’t in the original story? Had he died by Arlong’s hand? Selena managed to keep her composure, but her mind was reeling.

Bellemère just hummed in response and continued her story.

“They had no idea what to do with me. I was a horrible soldier but they saw potential in me, so they didn’t want to kick me out. I got shuffled from base to base until one day I caught the attention of Vice Admiral Garp.”

Nami and Nojiko gasped. “Garp the Hero!?” they practically yelled in unison.

“You never told us you knew him!” Nojiko added, sounding particularly eager.

Selena frowned. Had Bellemère never gone into detail about her life as a marine in the original story? That would explain why no one had known about the connection between her and Garp.

Bellemère laughed.

“I didn’t just know him, he became my teacher,” she said with a smug smirk. “That’s how I met Toshi-chan here. He’s a few years older than me, and had joined a few years before me, so he had already been training under Garp for a while. As for Garp, he seemed to like my attitude. I didn’t take shit from anybody and had plenty of confidence. He saw I just needed some tough love to get my shit together.”

“And those Fists of Love would do the job,” Hitoshi interjected.

“After that, we spent almost all of our time together. We trained together, went on patrol together, and even partied together,” Bellemère continued. “Did you know I was the one who pushed Toshi-chan to ask out your mom?” she said, addressing Selena.

“Thank you for my existence,” Selena responded, faux-seriously.

“Oh, god!” Bellemère chortled, “That was just like Etsuko!”

Hitoshi rolled his eyes and decided to pick up where Bellemère left off. “Eventually, Bellemère was promoted to captain. She actually surpassed me even though I had been a marine for longer. The superior officers saw how easily she took command of a situation and rewarded her for that.”

“Plus, I kicked ass,” Bellemère added.

“Plus, she kicked ass,” he agreed.

“It was shortly after my promotion that I got the assignment that led me to you guys,” Bellemère said, gesturing towards Nami and Nojiko.

By now, everyone had finished their dinner.

“Alright, kiddos! Off to bed!” Bellemère said cheerfully. “It’s time for the grown-ups to get drunk and talk shit!”

All three girls groaned.

“We wanna get drunk and talk shit too,” Selena said, fighting back a yawn.

“Language,” Hitoshi admonished, without any real heat to it. “It’s definitely bed time if you’re sleep deprived enough to think you can get away with swearing.”

The three girls bid them goodnight. Nami and Nojiko jumped onto the bed pushed against the corner that they would be sharing with Bellemère, while Selena settled into the pullout couch she was going to share with her dad.

“G’night,” Selena mumbled, already half asleep.

“Night,” the other two girls whispered back, careful not to wake up their new friend.

* * *

The rest of their trip passed by really quickly. Nami and Nojiko helped Bellemère tend to the tangerine grove in the mornings, like they did everyday. Selena and Hitoshi used this time to train. They then all met up for lunch. Afterwards, the girls would go off on their own. They would come back to the house around sunset, where they would enjoy dinner all together before going to bed.

Selena was having so much fun getting to know the girls and Bellemère. Around Nami she just let herself be the little kid she was, and they got into all kinds of mischief. She found out that Nami had started her thieving career really young; at first she thought she was imagining things, but it became clear over the next few days that Nami had sticky fingers. It wasn’t ever anything big - and she didn't think Nami had learned how to pickpocket yet - but every street cart they passed ended up missing an item or two. Most of the villagers seemed aware that Nami was the one taking their merchandise, but let it go with a roll of their eyes and a fond shake of their heads.

Most of the time Nojiko tailed after them and tried to run damage control, like a mini public relations specialist. Even though she was only a few years older than Selena and Nami, she looked after them and took care of them. She was very mature for an eight year old, and sometimes seemed like more of an adult than Bellemère. She shared Selena’s love of books, so they often gushed over their favorite adventure and fantasy novels. Nojiko had a surprising soft spot for fairy tales. Selena couldn’t help but look up to her a little bit. She just fit into that older sister role so naturally.

Bellemère was a firecracker. She had a fiery temper and a witty comeback for everything. She also brought out a really fun side of her dad, treating him like an awkward teenager instead of giving him the respect he had grown accustomed to since his promotion. She would get him all worked up, he would get flustered, and they would end up bickering like children.

At one point during dinner on their last night in Cocoyashi, Bellemère took a joke too far and Selena could tell her dad was actually annoyed instead of feeling playfully irritated like usual. Bellemère apologized by telling him she would “find _some_ way to make it up to him” while caressing his chest for good measure.

Yeah, Selena could definitely tell where Nami got that from.

Instead of getting hot and bothered like Bellemère had pictured, Hitoshi’s face promptly turned green and he tried to suppress his gag reflex.

“That’s not the correct reaction to having a beautiful woman flirt with you, you jackass!” Bellemère yelled.

“Sorry,” Hitoshi responded while waving her off with a dismissive gesture, not sounding sorry at all.

With a yell, Bellemère tackled Hitoshi off his chair and onto the ground, where they started full-on brawling. They rolled around like little kids. Selena was pretty sure she saw Bellemère put Hitoshi in a chokehold, only to start giving him a noogie.

All three girls were laughing so hard they had tears streaming down their faces and were gasping for breath.

The more time Selena spent with Bellemère, the more she began to see her like a cool aunt. This was reinforced by the fact that her and Hitoshi fought like siblings. She had only known the three of them for a week, but she already knew she was going to miss them dearly when she had to go back home.

On the last night of their trip, Bellemère and Hitoshi allowed the girls to stay up late. While the adults sat on the front porch, smoking and drinking saké, the girls went around the back of the house to lie in the grass and stargaze. They laid on their backs, all three of their heads touching and holding hands like they were in a synchronized swimming routine.

“I’m really going to miss you guys, you know,” Selena said softly.

“Us too. There aren’t a lot of kids our age in the village so we don’t really have a lot of friends,” Nojiko responded.

“Maybe we could come visit you next?” Nami said hopefully.

“I don’t think we can, Nami. We wouldn’t be able to leave the grove for so long. And there isn’t anyone we could ask to take care of it while we’re gone,” Nojiko reminded her.

“Well, my dad can’t take a lot of time off but maybe this could become a yearly thing? We could try to visit you guys at the end of every summer,” Selena said, trying to cheer her up.

“So we won’t see you again _for a whole year_?!” Nami whined. “I wish we weren’t so poor. Then we could just buy a transponder snail and talk all the time.”

“Those are _really_ expensive,” Selena said, wincing. “Besides, we can’t afford one either, so you wouldn’t be able to call me.”

Ever since she had met Garp, Selena had been trying to find out as much about this world as she could. She had asked her dad about transponder snails, because she was pretty sure she would have realized she was in _One Piece_ a lot sooner if she had seen a talking snail. Her dad had explained that they were really expensive, the cheapest one costing 100,000 beri. Her family could probably afford one, _if_ they hadn’t had her mother’s medical bills and medications to pay for. She hadn’t realized that Nami’s issues with money had started out so early.

“A year isn’t that long,” Nojiko said unconvincingly. A year to a little kid was practically a lifetime.

“Oh I know!” Selena said excitedly, flipping over onto her stomach so she could look at them. Nami and Nojiko copied her unconsciously, picking up on her excitement. “We can become pen pals!”

“You want to write letters?” Nami asked.

“Yeah!” Selena confirmed. “If you use a courier it can get pretty expensive, but if we use the News Coo it’s really cheap!”

That had been another thing she had researched. Apparently the News Coo were kind of like the post office in this world. They mostly delivered newspapers and bounty posters, but they also delivered any personal letters for a small fee. Most people entrusted their private mail to couriers, worried that the News Coo seagulls could get intercepted. Some people didn’t trust the birds to deliver mail on time or to the right person. The News Coo had gotten a bad reputation for being extremely slow but that was due to the fact that it was very hard to track down people who lived on ships or were constantly moving around. The best part is that it only cost 10 beri to deliver a letter. That was less than what a stamp cost in her old life!

“That sounds like fun,” Nojiko said. There was just something so whimsical about writing letters. She had never gotten the chance to write to anyone before, not knowing anyone who lived off the island. “We would get to hear from each other about once a week.”

“I’m in!” Nami added. “But I don’t want to be a _pen pal_. That sounds so lame!”

Selena giggled. “Alright, I’ll try to come up with a better name for it.”

They spent the rest of the night looking at the stars and talking, eventually falling asleep right where they were.

Hitoshi and Selena departed early the next morning. Nami, Nojiko, and Bellemère had walked them down to the docks, trying to prolong their time together. Selena took her time saying goodbye to each one of them, narrowly avoiding a cigarette burn when Bellemère scooped her up and began squeezing the life out of her.

The three of them stood on the dock, waving goodbye, until the small sailboat was no longer visible.

Hitoshi checked their heading and charted their course. They had actually spent a few more days than he had meant to in Cocoyashi, turning a trip that was supposed to only last a couple of days into a week long affair. He didn’t regret it though. He was probably going to get reprimanded once he got back to the base, but seeing his little girl so happy had been worth it. He had also really missed Bellemère. She really was his best friend, not that he would ever say that to her face. She was already smug enough as it was.

“Thank you so much for the trip, tou-chan. Best. Birthday. Present. Ever.”

“I'm glad you had fun, sweetheart. I had a good time too. Your mother is probably worried about us though, since we're a few days late.”

Selena frowned. Yeah, her mom wasn't going to be happy about that.

Oh well, nothing to be done now.

“Hey tou-chan, can I ask you something?”

“You just did,” Hitoshi said, chuckling to himself.

Selena huffed. He was such a dad.

“Did something happen between jiji and Bellemère?”

“What makes you say that?” he deflected.

“Well, it seemed like she didn't want to talk about him. She only mentioned him our first night there, and never brought him up again. Plus, Nami and Nojiko had no idea she knew him. I mean, you never told me about jiji by name but you always talked a lot about him. I just didn't realize your teacher and Garp the Hero were the same person.”

Hitoshi sighed. Sometimes Selena was too perceptive for a five year old. She was naturally intuitive, great at reading people, and once she identified someone’s emotions she was able to figure out their motives. It was a skill he knew would help her in the future - especially in a fight - but seemed to bite him in the ass nowadays.

“I'm going to tell you what happened,” Hitoshi said seriously, “But this has to stay between us. I don't think Bellemère wanted to talk about it in front of the girls, so you can't tell them. It's her past to share. The only reason I'm going to talk about this with you is because I don't want you to come to your own conclusions and think the worst. You've only just met shishou and Bellemère, so I don't want you to get the wrong idea about either of them because they are both very important to me.”

“I understand,” Selena responded, more curious than ever.

“Bellemère didn't go into detail about how she adopted Nami and Nojiko, but the truth is that she found them on a battlefield. The village they were originally from was completely decimated and they were the only two survivors. Bellemère found them, and she felt like it was fate. She knew that she was supposed to be those girls’ mother.”

Hitoshi frowned. 

“A lot of people didn't understand her decision. Bellemère wasn't exactly the mothering type, and a lot of our colleagues didn't understand why she didn't put up the girls for adoption. The people of Cocoyashi village felt the same way, but when they saw how determined Bellemère was to do this, they supported her decision. She completely dedicated her life to raising those girls. Only a few months later, Bellemère handed in her resignation letter and officially retired from the marines.”

“I don't understand. Was jiji one of the people who didn't want her to adopt Nami and Nojiko?” That didn't make any sense to her. Garp adopted brats left and right. She was an example of that.

“Not exactly. He actually supported her choosing to adopt them. They had no one else in the world. The way Garp saw it, they became Bellemère’s responsibility the moment she found them. What he didn't support was her decision to resign. He didn't understand why she couldn't find someone to help raise the girls, and continue working. He argued that she would still be their mother, would still be taking care of them, but without abandoning her duty. He thought she was wasting her potential and giving up the chance to help a lot of people.”

Selena was starting to understand. Maybe even better than Hitoshi did. Obviously, neither Bellemère nor Hitoshi knew that Garp had a family (which she thought was smart of him, because he had so many enemies that would have loved to go after his kid). Bellemère's decision to resign probably brought up a lot of guilt that had been festering in Garp for not raising his own son so long ago, and now his own grandsons. Subconsciously, he probably saw Bellemère’s decision like a critique on his own choices. By putting down her choice to give up her career in order to be a full-time parent, he made himself feel better about the choices _he_ had made. Deep down, he probably felt like he should have stayed on Dawn Island for Dragon, Ace, and Luffy. He had to figure out who needed him more: the world, or his children? Sure, he had done a lot of good as a marine and had saved a lot of lives, but he probably wondered “what if” a lot.

“Bellemère had to hand in the resignation letter in person to Garp, since he was her direct superior. That's when they got into a huge fight. It was also the last time I saw her until this week. Not because I chose sides, but she might have seen it that way since I obviously didn't retire after you were born. We actually talked about all of this the first day of our trip, when you girls had gone into town, and cleared the air. Just because I chose to keep working, didn't mean I thought it was the right choice for her. I wasn't a single parent. When I go back to the base or out to sea, I don't have to worry about you because I know Etsuko is taking care of you and you're helping take care of her,” he finished, smiling softly.

“Since you and Bellemère made up, do you think there's a chance her and jiji will too?”

“I don't know, sweetheart. They're both ridiculously stubborn. I know deep down in my heart that if I hadn't reached out to Bellemère and taken the first step, we probably would never have seen each other again.”

Selena sighed. He was probably right. She was pretty sure Luffy got his stubbornness from Garp.

They sailed back without encountering any trouble. Selena used the time to up her training again, finally not feeling completely exhausted all the time. She had taken it easy while on Cocoyashi, only training for a few hours everyday, and it had helped her muscles heal.

They made their way straight home after docking. Instead of the lecture they were expecting from Etsuko, she was just happy to see them. She explained that she just figured they had needed more time in Cocoyashi to catch up with Bellemère.

Hitoshi took off soon after, kissing them both goodbye. He was pretty sure he was going to get his ass handed to him for being late… Actually, now that he thought about it, he was the highest ranked officer in Loguetown now that Garp had left. There wasn't going to be anyone there to yell at him! With that happy thought, he headed out.

Selena spent the rest of the day telling her mom all about the visit in excruciating, mind numbing detail. Etsuko didn't mind though, she was just happy her daughter was home again and that she had made new friends. Besides, her daughter was a good storyteller even if she was a bit long-winded.

When Selena went outside that afternoon, she was tackled by a brown blur.

“You didn't even tell me you were leaving, you jerk!”

Shit. Kingsley.

“I had to find out from your mom that you left on some sort of trip! First you avoid me for weeks and then you leave without saying goodbye?! If you don't wanna be my friend anymore just say so!”

“No, no, no! That's not what happened at all!” Selena rushed to explain. She shifted so that she wasn't pinned under him anymore and was able to look him in the eye. “I wasn't trying to avoid you, I promise! You know how I don't get to see my dad that much, and he was here for the last few weeks so I tried to spend as much time with him as I could. I asked him to teach me how to fight so we spent all of our time training together. And the reason I didn't say goodbye before leaving was because it was a surprise trip!”

“You could have still made time to see me,” Kingsley said stubbornly, although he looked less angry after hearing her explanation. “And you could have left a note for me telling me about your trip.”

“You're right, I'm sorry. I haven't been a good friend lately,” Selena said, looking contrite.

“Yeah, you haven't,” Kingsley said. He had really missed his best friend. None of the other kids on the island were as interesting as her. Plus, he had been worried! She was always getting into some sort of trouble. What would she do without him? She would probably get eaten by a bear or something! And there weren't even bears on this island!

“I'm sorry you missed me and that I worried you,” Selena said cheekily, having no problem reading her best friend.

“Yeah, I- wait! That's not what I said! Stop putting words in my mouth, woman!” he yelled, chasing after her.

* * *

Luffy was so boooored.

He tried to hang out with the other kids in the village but ever since he hurt that one kid playing tag they didn't like him anymore.

It had been an accident! He didn't mean to push him so hard! He said sorry so it was okay, right?

Makino said he was different from the other kids because he's strong like his Gramps. Makino's really smart. But if he was this strong now, didn't that mean he'll be even stronger when he turns five? How could he make friends if he kept scaring them away?

He wished the grown-ups in the village had time to play with him. None of  _them_  were scared of him. Did that mean he could only be friends with grown-ups?

Luffy was so bored that he even missed Gramps. A little. And he had only left a few weeks ago! At least things were interesting when he was around!

Maybe bored wasn't right. What was he feeling?

Oh yeah. Lonely. Luffy was lonely.

It hurt when he was alone.

He hoped something interesting would happen soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! It turned out longer than expected and then Luffy showed up out of nowhere at the end, but I really wanted him to make an intro early on in the fic.
> 
> Last edited on 6/2/18.


	3. Seeing Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as you might have guessed by the ending of the last chapter, I'm going to be including little snippets showing what the Strawhats are doing as we follow Selena's childhood. I hope you like it!

   _Ten years before Romance Dawn_  

* * *

Armed with a bokken in each hand, Zoro unleashed a flurry of strikes onto his opponent.

His opponent, unable to fight back, toppled over.

Zoro sighed and picked up the straw dummy he had been taking out his frustrations on. He didn't get it! Why couldn't he beat her?!

One thousand fights. One thousand losses.

He would just have to train harder and get even stronger. He was only nine years old, but he could already beat most of the adults who trained at the dojo. In a way, he was kind of grateful to Kuina. At least she offered him a challenge. A goal to reach. Someone to surpass.

Still, she didn't have to be so smug about it.

He could still hear her mocking voice echoing in his ears. "You're weak, Zoro."

He'll just have to prove her wrong.

* * *

_Letter #156_

_Dear Selena,_

_Your last letter was so funny! I don't know how you found that much honey or why you thought that would be a good idea for a prank, but I think you kind of deserved it backfiring on you. Sorry! Nojiko laughed so hard that tangerine juice came out of her nose when we read that!_

_If we ever get the chance to visit you I really want to meet your friend Kingsley. We hear so much about him from your letters that we feel like we kind of know him already. We're glad you have someone looking out for you back home. We worry about you, you know? You don't have an amazing big sister looking out for you like I do (Nojiko made me write that)._

_We hope that the tangerines we sent helped your mom feel better! Bellemère swears by them. She says that the tangerines from our grove help give you better skin, nicer hair, and are the reason she's so beautiful. I don't know about all that (I think I need more evidence besides Bellemère's face), but they are packed with vitamin C! Maybe if she eats a tangerine a day, instead of apples, she'll be able to keep the doctors away?_

_Not much has happened here in the last week. I got in trouble for shoplifting (again) but it was for something really important! I stole a book on navigation but it was really expensive and I needed it. Bellemère got me out of trouble by flirting with Genzo anyways, so everything turned out all right. I really need to learn how she does that._

_The weather has been really great this season so we're hoping it's going to be a good harvest. Nojiko has been helping out Bellemère more and more with the grove, and it turns out she really has a green thumb (she's blushing as I write this)! She even started a little garden behind the house, and we've been using her herbs and vegetables in the kitchen. They taste better than anything you can buy at the market._

_I think that's all for now. We're so excited for you to come visit soon!_

_Your calligraphy companions,_

_Nami & Nojiko_

_P.S. Nojiko finally admitted that my calligraphy is way better than hers! It has to be if I'm going to make the best maps in the world!_

* * *

Selena smiled as she finished reading over Nami and Nojiko's latest letter. They had become really close over the last three years, ever since she first visited Cocoyashi. She usually heard from them at least every other week, alternating each week between who was receiving and who was writing the letter. She loved hearing about the girls' antics and about whatever Bellemère was up to.

They had started numbering the letters after a News Coo seagull ended up getting lost. The letter had shown up a couple of weeks later, but they decided to keep numbering their correspondences since it made it easy to keep track of them all. Plus, it was cool to see how many letters they had written in total. When they had hit letter #100, Selena had surprised Nami and Nojiko by sending them a bottle of champagne she had swiped from Mama's Place. She was pretty sure Bellemère hadn't let them drink it, but it was the thought that counted.

It had also become a running joke to end their letters with a different synonym for pen pals, after Nami had complained about how lame it sounded during Selena's first visit to Cocoyashi. After the first thirty letters they had completely run out of new ways to phrase it, so they started using their favorites on rotation. Every once in a while one of them will come up with a new one, but "memo mates" was still Selena's favorite. 

She had visited Nami and Nojiko two more times over the last three years, and was going to visit again soon after her eighth birthday. It had become tradition for her and Hitoshi to go on a trip to Cocoyashi at the end of summer. Her dad usually took off the month of September, since her birthday landed on the second, and they would use the last week of the month to visit their friends. She had made so many good memories running around the island and just goofing off with the sisters.

Her dad had been promoted again, not even a full year after he had made captain. Apparently, his slow rise through the ranks had nothing to do with lack of fighting skill. Marine Headquarters had been hesitant to promote him because of his lack of leadership skills. He had always been a goofy and excitable guy, which meant that most of the soldiers saw him as more of a friend than as a superior. He hadn't been the type of person to command respect or to inspire people to follow him.

This had changed after he had met Etsuko, who helped bring out a more serious side to him. After Selena was born and he became a father, he matured even more. HQ had no longer been able to deny that he was an exemplary soldier and rewarded him for his hard work. After years of service, he was finally getting the recognition he deserved. He was now Commodore Hitoshi and was stationed on the first half of the Grand Line, though he made frequent visits to his old base. The recruitment and training program in Loguetown was the largest in all of the East Blue, and he had been instrumental in developing it. The trainers and instructors at the base reported to him, and he continued to oversee the recruitment campaigns and training schedules. It also gave him a good excuse to be able to see his daughter every few months.

Selena missed her dad terribly. After his promotion to commodore, he had been reassigned to the Grand Line. She and Etsuko had been worried about him, but he was following his dreams and they couldn't hold him back from that. It had comforted her a bit to know that he was staying in Paradise, but the Grand Line was an insane place and she couldn't help but be nervous for her father.

Hitoshi had seen how concerned Etsuko and Selena were for him, and he knew it must have been hard for them to let him go. He was so lucky to have them, and to have a family that understood that being a marine was essential to who he was. He had grown up in the marines, found purpose in the marines, and had dedicated his life to the marines. They saw this and never asked him to stay with them, even though it must have been killing them to watch him sail off into the unknown and worry about him for weeks on end. In hopes of making them feel better, or at least for them to stress less over his safety, he decided to demonstrate his skills for them. Neither of them had ever seen him in action, so he hoped letting them see what he could do would alleviate some of their fears.

Selena's eyes had bugged out of her head when Hitoshi's fist had blackened and he pulverized a nearby boulder with a single punch. Her dad had fucking _haki_. She shouldn't have been surprised, he _was_ trained by Garp after all, but she really hadn't seen this coming. Her sweet, cheery, goofy dad had armament haki.

Etsuko had taken the whole thing in stride. She walked over to Hitoshi, planted a chaste kiss on his lips, and had thanked him for showing them that.

"I feel a lot better now. I obviously knew that you were strong, but hearing about it and seeing it with my own eyes are two very different things. I trust you to take care of yourself and to come back home to us." That said, she walked back to Mama's to open up the place for brunch.

Selena didn't remain as composed.

"What the hell was that, tou-chan!?" she yelled, still feeling like her eyeballs were popping out of her head. Thinking about it, she realized they actually might be. She was living in an anime now, after all. "Why haven't you taught me that!?"

She had continued her training with a steadfast determination. Ever since her dad had started training her, she had not taken a day off. She knew that canon would be starting in about ten years and she intended on setting off on her own journey soon after that. She needed to be strong enough to survive on her own.

Hitoshi chuckled.

"That was an example of what armament haki could do," he said. "And it isn't really something that can be taught."

He walked away from the rubble (that used to be a boulder) and sat down under the shade of a redwood, gesturing for Selena to follow. He had led Etsuko and Selena into a clearing located in the forest on the southern side of the island, since he didn't want any of the locals witnessing his little demonstration. The redwoods that made up the forest were huge, and had provided good cover from prying eyes.

"Before I explain, I need you to promise me that you will be very careful with who you entrust this information with. This power could be very dangerous in the wrong hands," he said. Selena had no issue agreeing to his terms. She could only imagine what would happen if people in the Blues discovered they all had the untapped ability to use a mysterious superpower.

"To put it in the simplest terms, haki is a power that could be wielded by any person. There are three types of haki, although they manifest in different ways. The one I just used is called armament haki. It allows you to use your spirit to coat yourself in an invisible armor. When trained to higher levels, like I showed you, you are able to actually harden your body. That's why my fist turned black," he explained, imbuing his hand with armament to show her once more. 

"The second type is called observation haki. It's like a sixth sense that allows you to feel other people's aura, and can be trained to the point where the user is able to predict an enemy's attacks. Bellemère is actually extremely proficient in observation haki," he said, to Selena's surprise. 

"Can you show me that one?" she asked. She didn't know if she was going to get another chance to see haki in action and she wanted to take advantage of this opportunity.

Not for nothing, but Selena had actually tried to use haki as soon as she had started training and was away from her dad's watchful eyes. Haki was basically superpowers that everyone had the potential to use but didn't know how to access. _Of course_ she was going to try to take advantage of her knowledge of the series. To her endless frustration, however, she had made no progress whatsoever.

She spent at least a few hours everyday trying to unlock her haki. It wasn't a waste of time, since the training she hoped would help her unlock her haki was also essential to the rest of her skills. Still, it was disappointing that she had worked for three years and had nothing to show for it in that regard. She spent an hour everyday punching and kicking the cliff face on the eastern shore of the island. She had worked her way up from sand bags to tree trunks and finally, to hitting solid rock. It helped toughen up her hands and feet, which she wrapped in bandages, to the point where she could now hit the cliff-side at full strength without feeling any pain. She no longer had to hold back to avoid injuring herself. Over time, the constant repetition had also helped strengthen her hits immensely. While at first punching solid rock had hurt like a bitch, she was now chipping the stone with each strike.

She incorporated dodging and agility training to her workout routine in hopes of unlocking her observation haki. Basically, Kingsley would throw things at her, as hard as he could, while she dodged for her life. She had slowly ramped up this training too. Kingsley had first started shooting her with a water gun, then moved up to water balloons, then up to acorns, then small stones, and finally: marbles. They were hard and compact, but didn't cut her or dirty her clothes like rocks did. Plus, the bright colors made them easy to find and pick up afterwards. 

"Actually, I can't," her dad responded, bringing her back to the conversation at hand. "Every person has an inclination towards either armament or observation. I specialize in armament, and haven't been able to unlock observation haki yet. That's another thing that stops everyone and anyone from learning haki: it has to be unlocked. This usually happens during either a traumatic or intensely emotional event. For example, I unlocked armament when I saw a sniper taking aim at Bellemère while she was engaged in combat with a pirate. She was focused on her fight and didn't notice the pirate stationed on a roof about a block away. He was picking off marines from a distance while the rest of his crew engaged in hand-to-hand combat. I moved without thinking and took the bullet for her, not noticing until after the battle that the bullet hadn't pierced my skin. Shishou was so proud when I told him that he bought my drinks for the rest of the night," he boasted.

Selena had stars in her eyes. "Tou-chan, you're so cool~!"

Hitoshi shrugged one shoulder and tried to remain nonchalant, but he could feel the tips of his ears getting red.

"I guess it _is_ kind of a big deal," he said, giving up the façade of humility. "Bellemère and I are complete opposites in that regard; she was never able to unlock armament and I still haven’t gotten observation. Armament is more suited to my fighting style, since I can use it to coat my sword. I'm actually still training to unlock observation though, since I can't be promoted to vice admiral until I show my superiors that I am proficient in both types of haki."

"Didn't you say there are three types?" Selena asked innocently.

It wasn't something that she was proud of, but she was really good at telling half-truths and avoiding letting any of her future knowledge slip out. She never outright lied, just skewed the truth and chose her words very carefully. It made her feel like a manipulative little shit, but she wasn't ever going to reveal her reincarnated status to anyone. How would the people she cared about feel if they knew she had been lying to them her whole life? How would her parents feel about her if they knew she had stolen the life of their little girl?

"Yes, I did," Hitoshi replied. "The third one is called Conqueror's Haki, or the King's Disposition. Unlike the other two, you're either born with it or you aren't. It's extremely rare – only one in a million people have it. It basically allows the user to use their willpower to overpower others. It's not something you have to worry about though. I don't think you'll ever see haki in action unless you plan on going to the Grand Line."

"Well, you never know," Selena responded casually.

Was his baby girl implying that she wanted to be a marine?! Why else would she ever go to the Grand Line? He didn't want to pressure her into anything though, so he couldn't give anything away with his reaction.

He hummed non-committedly in response, trying to keep his face neutral. 

Selena shot a look at her dad. Why did he look so constipated?

"Are you okay, tou-chan?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" he said quickly. "Lets go back to the bar and help out your mother. I want to make the most out of the time I have left with the both of you," he said, efficiently changing the subject.

Ever since then, her dad was gone for months at a time. He would leave Valhalla to go on patrols through Paradise, then come back home for a couple of weeks to check in on the Loguetown base and spend time with them. He always took the month of September off for her though, even though she knew that HQ gave him a hard time for it. She appreciated that even though his career was extremely important to him, family still came first. It made her feel incredibly loved.

Her daily routine hadn't changed much in the last three years. She woke up around sunrise and spent the morning studying with her mother. She now had lessons in history, geography, world cultures, and literature. Her mom had taught her basic arithmetic already, and the knowledge of science of this world was jealously guarded so she wasn't very well versed in those subjects. Her mom may not be the most well educated woman, but she was extremely well read. She made sure Selena learned the essentials and that she had an appreciation for the classic works of this world.

She spent the rest of the morning running laps around the island. Valhalla was a beautiful place and she enjoyed going on runs. When she wanted to push herself she would either do sprints up the cliffs on the eastern shore, or free run through the forest on the south side of the island. Having to jump over logs, make her way through the rough terrain, and weave in between trees made it more challenging. On days where she was still sore and wanted to take it easier, she would jog through the vineyards and farms on the western side of the island. Grapes, sugarcane, and wheat were the main things grown, and were used to make various types of alcohol. Liquor was actually the main good exported out of Valhalla. There was a huge distillery on the island, which was where most of the people who didn't own their own farms or businesses worked.

Ever since Kingsley chewed her out after her first trip to Cocoyashi, she made sure to eat lunch with him everyday. To her surprise, a few months into her training Kingsley had asked if he could join her. He could only join her for her afternoon training session, since he went fishing every morning and then sold his catches at the farmer's market until noon. He was months behind her in training (not that she would ever give him a chance to catch up) but Selena loved having him as a sparring partner. She got to spend more time with him, he learned how to defend himself, and she got to share one of her hobbies with him. 

Not only that, but having a sparring partner really helped her improve. Many of the kata in the book her father gave her for her fifth birthday were to be done in pairs or with a partner. By following the illustrations, she had memorized every single kata in the book. She also now had someone she could test moves on, which really helped since she was kind of developing her own style by borrowing from different types of martial arts. 

During her first year of training, her dad had taught her the basics of swordsmanship. He had bought her a bokken, which was basically a wooden practice sword, and had given her a training routine. Swordsmanship was a required skill for all marine privates, which was why so many of the cannon fodder marines shown in the series wielded sabers. Hitoshi wanted to make sure that _if_ his daughter decided to follow in his footsteps, she would have no problem rising through the ranks and would have a head start compared to other recruits.

At first, Selena had been excited about learning swordsmanship. She had always admired swordsmen and women, plus she was pleased that her dad wanted to pass on his skills to her. She could also tell that it made her dad happy that she shared his interests. However, she slowly learned that it just wasn't for her. She didn't like being dependent on a weapon that could be lost or turned against her. She wanted to be able defend herself with her own two hands. Her dad had been disappointed, but understood why swordsmanship didn't suit her.

The downside to this revelation was that her dad couldn't help her develop her fighting style much further. He was happy to help her with organizing her training schedule and giving her tips on how to improve, but he didn't specialize in hand-to-hand combat. Besides helping her improve her basic skills, he couldn't do much else but spar with her whenever he was home and help her gain experience. She had to figure out the rest on her own.

Although she was building up her strength, her fighting style was based on speed and flexibility. She had been short in her past life, and she had a feeling she would be short in this life as well. She couldn't rely on being able to overpower her opponents, especially when the majority of them were going to be taller and heavier than her, if not stronger.

She had drawn inspiration from another story she had loved in her past life, a show that had defined her childhood and had brought her countless hours of joy. One of her favorite characters in the story had a very acrobatic fighting style that incapacitated enemies by hitting their pressure points. After comparing different fighting styles in her trusty book, she was sure that the moves were based on a combination of varma kalai and dim mak. The main reason Selena wanted to imitate the character's style was because it had allowed her to paralyze an opponent's body parts for a short period of time. If Selena could copy that effect, it would be invaluable in battle.

Once she had her mind set, she couldn't see herself fighting any other way. Kingsley had tried to dissuade her and proposed other styles that were easier to imitate and easier to learn, but to no avail. The agility and flexibility components weren't a problem for her. She had started training so young, and had never failed to stretch before a workout session, that she was already fairly flexible. Yes, she had to amp up her training again because she wanted to get her body to contortionist levels of flexibility, but it was just a matter of time and effort before she got the results she wanted. Likewise, agility was something she had been training since she first set out to get stronger. She started to incorporate dexterity exercises as well, making sure she was training each part of her body to maximum levels of speed and efficiency.

The main issue was finding information on the pressure points of the body. Books on any science were hard to find, but comprehensive medical texts were extremely rare and very expensive. Not only that, but what she was looking for was information that wasn't very commonly used. Acupuncture was not practiced in the East Blue, and no other medical practices really used the pressure point system. It had taken several months, many excursions to Loguetown with her mom, and almost all of her savings, but eventually she found what she was looking for. In a shady looking bookstore down a narrow alley in the bad part of town, she found a faded textbook entitled _Acupuncture for Dummies._  

The cover featured a cartoon of a man whose face was covered in needles and seemed to be in excruciating pain, but she was desperate enough to flip through it for any information. Most of the book was useless to her, but it contained three whole chapters full of charts and diagrams depicting the pressure points all over the human body. She decided to buy it for herself as an early eighth birthday present even though she felt like it was ridiculously overpriced.

She knew that even though she had the information she needed, it would take her years to mesh everything together into a coherent fighting style. She wanted to mix the two-fingered strikes (also known as spear handed strikes) used to hit pressure points with quick jabs and haymakers so that she would be difficult to predict. She also wanted to incorporate kicks, elbow jabs, and knee jabs. She picked all of the things she liked most from all of the kata she learned, and wanted to make it flow together into a style that could become second nature to her. It would be a lot of trial and error. Not to mention that she had to learn the location of every pressure point and then be able to locate it on any person, no matter how weird or different their anatomy. If she was going to the Grand Line, she had to be prepared for anything and anyone.

After training each day, Selena would then wash up and go over to Mama's Place to eat and help with the dinner rush. Etsuko usually opened up around eleven in the morning, but was able to handle the business by herself until around six in the evening. After that, Etsuko was usually stuck in the kitchen making everyone's orders. At first, Selena mostly helped out by entertaining customers, bussing tables, and delivering meals once they were ready. However, as the place got busier and more people brought their friends to enjoy the fun atmosphere and drinking games, Selena began picking up the slack at the bar. Etsuko would sometimes be too busy cooking in the back to man the bar, and bartending came naturally to Selena. She had bartended for two years in her past life while in graduate school to help pay off her student loans. She prided herself on making good drinks and her skills hadn't gotten rusty after all these years.

At first, Selena started out just pouring out beers while Etsuko ran back into the kitchen. Over time, she started making mixed drinks, then fancy cocktails. By the time she was six she manned the bar full-time. Etsuko had seen how easily Selena handled the extra responsibility and it gave her more time to prepare the food. She no longer had to rush to get orders out, and she was able to do her family's secret recipes justice. Besides, no one ever complained. In fact, the customers loved it. Selena was so little that she couldn't be seen over the counter. She had a step stool that she used when she wanted to talk to customers face to face, but when mixing drinks and bustling behind the bar she didn't use it. This gave the illusion that drinks would pop up out of nowhere, since her little hands were usually too quick for people to notice. Most of the patrons got a real kick out of it. She also made the drinks with enough alcohol that people felt like they were getting their money's worth, but still tasted good.

By the time she was eight, she was known as the cutest bartender on the island.

It had become a running bit for the locals. Everyone swore that Mama's Place had the cutest bartender in all of the East Blue, and they all enjoyed sending foreigners to the bar to see their reaction to being served by an eight year old. In the end, no one could deny that she was adorable.

Their favorite victims were the marine recruits from Loguetown that visited the island to let off some steam without worrying about running into their superiors. Even after they found out that the cute barmaid at Mama's was a little girl and not a hot chick, it was still their favorite hot spot. Selena had started hosting beer pong and flip cup tournaments each Saturday, and she could practically guarantee that at least one of the teams would be made up completely of marine grunts. Little did they know that their favorite getaway spot, where they went to escape their responsibilities, was actually owned by Commodore Hitoshi's wife.

That running joke is what had led to the infestation of pirates currently occupying Mama's. And Kingsley's grandfather was at fault. Selena knew she should have let her jiji beat him up.

* * *

Shanks decided that the Red Hair Pirates needed to dock at one last port before heading to the Grand Line.

They had departed from Foosha Village for the last time a few days ago. While most of his men were excited to get back to the excitement of the Grand Line, he knew that some of his crew was really going to miss the East Blue.

Their time there had been peaceful. They had raided marine bases with ease, none of which had been prepared to face off with a Grand Line crew. They had stocked up on what they needed and made new friends. It had been like a sleepy little vacation. Revitalized from their break from the New World levels of insanity, it was time for them to head back and make a name for themselves.

Not that he wasn't going to miss his new friends too. He let his thoughts drift back to the goodbye kiss Makino had given him. He could picture her pink lips and soft curves. He remembered the feel of her body pressed against his, how she had initiated the passionate embrace and given him "something to remember her by."

Ahem. He was getting off track. 

He was also going to miss their little Anchor. He kept expecting Luffy to pop up out of nowhere and demand they take him with them. He was proud to have seen Roger's will passed on and had placed his bet on the next generation, but he knew it was going to be a long time before they saw the likes of Monkey D. Luffy again.

Not to mention his sniper was depressed about leaving his wife and son again.

Yasopp had made a tough decision, but his heart called out to the sea and he wouldn't have been happy living in Syrup Village. He didn't think he would have been a good husband or father if he had stayed, knowing that adventure was out there waiting for him. His wife seemed to accept this decision, although she did look heartbroken to see him go. He was more worried about his son. Usopp was only seven years old and although he had tried to pass on as many life skills as he could before he left, Yasopp knew it wasn't enough. Would his son even remember him in a few years?

All in all, the mood on the ship was rather somber. Sure, the crew was filled with anticipation about going on their next adventure, but they were also wary of going back to the New World after having such a good time in the East Blue.

It was unacceptable and more importantly, un-pirate like.

But if there was anything Shanks knew, it was how to cheer up some pirates. All they needed was some good music, good booze, and good company.

That decided, he called over his navigator to change their course. They were already pretty close to the entrance to the Grand Line, so if they wanted to stop at an island without veering too much off course they only had two options: Loguetown, or the Isle of Valhalla. 

He called over Benn.

"What do you think?" Shanks asked. "I know the Loguetown marine base is supposedly the biggest in the East Blue, but I don't really keep up with the news from here. Are there any heavy hitters stationed there?"

"Why are we stopping before we get back to the Grand Line, anyways?" Benn asked.

"For morale's sake, Benn! Look around you! The crew needs one last East Blue party before we head back! Besides, we need to celebrate our re-entrance into the Grand Line!"

Benn looked around and saw the men going about their business, no different than usual. He suspected this had more to do with his captain needing a distraction from how much he was missing Foosha Village than anything.

When it came to Shanks, it was just much easier to just go along with his whims. 

"Well, I know Vice Admiral Garp and a Commodore Hitoshi both stop by there rather frequently. Although last I heard, both of them were stationed in the Grand Line. There isn't anyone at the base we couldn't handle, but we don't need to restock since the people of Foosha were so generous to us. Besides, after your recent increase in bounty I don't see a reason to draw even more attention to us," Benn reasoned, knowing that his captain didn't care about any of what he just said. "I also heard that Valhalla has the best distillery in the East Blue. If we wanted to stock up on liquor we could buy it directly from the supplier for a good price," he finished slyly.

"Dahaha! It's settled then! Onwards, to the Isle of Valhalla!"

After a few hours of smooth sailing, they were able to dock at Valhalla before the sun had set. Shanks sent off some of his men to haggle at the distillery, while he led his top officers into town in search of a good bar.

While walking down the docks and onto the boardwalk, they ran into a stern looking old man mumbling under his breath.

"This is the last time I set out so late…" he grumbled. "I should have sent Kingsley out instead…"

Undeterred, Shanks walked right up to him. One of the best things about the East Blue was that no one recognized him. The News Coo only delivered bounty posters for local wanted criminals; so most people had no idea who the Red Haired Pirates were. News from the Grand Line was scarce here.

"Good afternoon, my good man!" Shanks greeted jubilantly. "We're from out of town and were wondering if you could point us towards a good bar."

The old man, who was either too blind to see the Jolly Roger painted all over their sails or incredibly oblivious, gave them a considering look.

Now there were many things that could be said about Kinsley's jiji, Marcus, but no one could deny that he was a true-blooded Valhallan. He was born and raised on the island, and although he spent his younger years sailing all over the East Blue, he came back to his home island to settle down and have a family. He spent the majority of his life on this island, and he had a good amount of patriotic pride. He was the type of man that enjoyed in taking part in his home's traditions, no matter how silly they were.

He also couldn't deny that he liked riling up Kingsley's bratty little friend.

Which is why the next words came out of his mouth.

"You have to go to Mama's Place. It's right on the main street. They have the cutest bartender in all of the East Blue," he said, throwing in a lecherous grin for good measure.

Shanks interest was immediately piqued. A bartender cuter than Makino? Impossible. He was going to have to put this barmaid in her place, for trying to take Makino's title like that.

As Shanks stormed on ahead determinedly, Benn sighed. He gave Yasopp the name of the bar they were going to and instructed him to pass it on to the rest of the crew so they could meet up there. He then grabbed Lucky Roo and trailed after his captain.

Shanks found the bar easily enough. Like the old man had said, it was right on the main street and the sign was illuminated to make it stand out even more. He burst in through the french double doors, which he admitted were a nice touch. Was that mahogany?

Looking around the room, he realized that most of the patrons were staring at him warily after such an abrupt entrance. Giving them a friendly wave, he made his way to the bar.

Lucky Roo and Benn had followed their captain into the restaurant but decided to sit down at one of the larger round tables. Lucky Roo immediately scanned the menu and waved over the waitress.

Shanks looked over the woman who was taking Lucky Roo's order. She was a fine woman, in her early thirties if he had to guess. She had black hair that fell down to her shoulder blades, nice curves, and kind eyes. But cutest in the East Blue? Not a chance.

Makino's hair was silkier and she had a nicer smile. Not that he had seen this woman smile, but he could just tell. The waitress also had a frailty about her, and although she had brown skin she also had a sickly pallor that suggested she didn't spend much time in the sun. 

Happy with his conclusions, he called her over. 

"Is there something I could get for you?" she asked politely. 

"Could I get some saké to start?" 

"Oh, I'm sorry but I'm not the bartender," she said, smiling slightly. "But it seems like your order is up."

Shanks swiveled around on his stool to face the bar again. Looking right and left, he still didn't see anyone. Feeling stupid, he spoke to the empty air behind the bar.

"Could I also get two beers for my friends at the table?"

Quick as a flash, two bottles of beer appeared on the counter.

Well, this hadn't been what he expected at all.

"You don't have to hide, you know. I know you're there. How am I supposed to judge if you're the cutest bartender in the East Blue if I can't see your face?" 

He heard something dragging across the floor, then the sound of two steps.

Selena stood on her step stool, and came face to face with Red Haired Shanks. Because why not? Of course one of the most infamous pirates of all time would be in her bar. She was starting to think that no matter how hard she tried to remain uninvolved, fate was just going to keep throwing canon characters at her until her resolve broke.

Feeling kind of dazed, Selena blurted out the first thing to came to mind.

"I wasn't hiding! I'm just not tall enough to see over the bar yet!" she said. She had her pride to protect, goddammit!

"Dahaha! Alright, alright. Then let me get a good look at you," he said. He then proceeded to squint one eye, tilt his head, and bring up his hand to stroke his five o'clock shadow contemplatively. "You're cute, I'll give you that… but the cutest in the East Blue? Nah."

"Is that why you're here? Who told you that anyways?"

"This old fisherman I met by the docks. He didn't give us a name but he was muttering something about someone named Kingsley."

"Marcus," she whispered sinisterly under her breath. Her nemesis was going to pay for this. Changing tracts, she decided to question Shanks a bit further. She hoped he was implying that Makino was cuter than her (she always imagined there had been a thing between those two) but he _had_ been all over the East Blue and she's sure the Red Haired pirates had hit up a bar in every port town they docked in.

She also wanted to scope out her competition. She _liked_ her title of cutest bartender and she was going to fight for it.

"Are you saying there's someone cuter than me serving drinks in the East Blue?" she asked, giving him her best puppy dog eyes. 

Shanks shifted uncomfortably. How did she get her eyes to get so big? And so dewy? If he was a lesser man, that look would have done him in; but as captain of the Red Haired Pirates, he was made of tougher stuff.

"Dahaha! I am!" He had to stand strong for Makino!

"Are you sure?" she asked, adding in a pout for good measure.

"What do you mean, 'am I sure?' You should just accept your defeat gracefully. Don't be a sore loser," he said dismissively.

Selena felt a tick mark pop up on her forehead. She didn't even know she could do that. She couldn't let him under her skin or he would win.

"I mean," she said slowly, like she was talking to a child. "That are you sure whoever you're thinking of is the cutest? Are you sure they aren't 'the most beautiful' or 'the prettiest'?"

"When you put it that way… I guess Makino would be the most beautiful," he said, more to himself than to her. "Oh, I know!" he continued, "Makino is the prettiest, cutest, annnnd the most beautiful!"

Finally losing her temper, Selena shouted, "Who asked you, you filthy pirate!" and proceeded to launch herself across the bar to bonk him on the head. 

"So…" he started, catching the kid before she could reach him. He held her up single-handedly by the back of her t-shirt and brought her up to eye-level. "You know who I am, but you still thought it would be a good idea to attack me?"

The color drained from her face. She had let her guard down because she knew about his character from the original story, but he was a Grand Line pirate and a future yonko. She actually knew very little about him and his crew, and just because they had been nice to Luffy didn't mean they were going to treat her as kindly.

Selena gulped. She noted that the bar was now full with men who she could only assume made up the rest of his crew. It seemed like the regular customers had snuck out when she hadn't been paying attention. Traitors.

"Sometimes I do things without thinking," she finally said, chuckling nervously.

Shanks blinked twice, then broke out into roaring laughter with the rest of his crew joining in.

"Dahaha! You're pretty brave for a brat!" he said in between laughs. He swung her over to the stool next to him, finally setting her down.

Etsuko came bustling out of the kitchen in that moment.

"What are you doing sitting down, Selena?" she scolded, having missed the prior conversation since she had been busy making Lucky Roo's ridiculously huge order. "These nice men need drinks!"

At that, the Red Haired Pirates all cheered. 

Selena sighed. Her mom had the worst timing.

Selena made her way to each table, chatting with all of the men and grabbing them drinks. She even set up a beer pong tournament at one of the bigger tables. Feeling satisfied that her customers were happy, she made her way back to the first table where Shanks had joined Lucky Roo and Benn Beckman.

Seeing that they had finished their first drinks she asked, "Can I get you guys a refill?"

Shanks jumped in before either man could respond.

"Nah, beer is so boring! This is our last East Blue party! We need something more exciting!" he exclaimed. "What do you recommend, squirt?" 

Brushing off the nickname, she took a surreptitious look around for her mother. 

"It depends. Are you going for a nice buzz or are you trying to get shitfaced?"

"Dahaha! I can handle anything you got! Bring it on!" he said, rising to the challenge like she guessed he would. "Bring a round for the table and keep them coming!"

"Alright then! But I'm warning you: this stuff _will_ mess you up."

She scurried off behind the bar to mix their drinks. It was her masterpiece creation and she was extremely proud of it.

Rushing back to the table with a pitcher of the stuff, she set down three glasses and began pouring it out.

"I call this drink the warrior's elixir," she said with pride. It was basically the equivalent to jungle juice in this world, which took her a couple of months to perfect. The alcohol here was different than what she was used to in her old world and she had to use natural fruit juice instead of the sugary stuff she used _before_. Thankfully she had access to some of the highest quality products since she could buy directly from the distillery on the island. It took her a while to find the perfect combination of fruit juices and liquor that provided a liver-destroying amount of alcohol but with the flavor of a tropical punch.

She sat down at the table to watch their expressions after they took their first sip.

Shanks almost laughed out loud. This kid was so cute, thinking this was a strong drink. Was there even any alcohol in this?

"This is nothing!" he exclaimed. "We're Grand Line pirates! It's going to take more than some punch to get us drunk!"

"Let's see if you're still saying that after you finish the pitcher," she responded under her breath.

Benn was pretty sure he was the only one who heard that rather ominous statement and decided to pace himself just in case. Someone had to be responsible. Speaking of which, his captain had reminded him of something he had meant to ask.

"Hey kid, how did you know who we were? You're the first civilian to recognize us in the East Blue," Benn said.

Selena considered the question and decided to tell a half-truth. It's not like she could tell him that they were fictional characters she had read about in a past life, but she felt like outright lying to him would be a stupid move. She knew very little about Benn Beckman, but she did know that he was supposedly incredibly smart.

"I get the newspaper from every Blue delivered. Sometimes I even manage to get my hands on one from the Grand Line. That's why I've seen your bounty posters," she said. Technically it was all true.

Once she had learned how to read properly, she had come to the realization that the reason the people of the East Blue were so clueless about the state of the rest of the world was because the World Government had total control over the newspapers of this world. Not only did they censor a lot of events, they also skewed stories so that marines were put in the best light and pirates were portrayed in the worst way. She learned that you really had to read between the lines to get the real story. They also did their best to keep the Blues segregated. Each ocean received a different version of the paper, which contained local news and whatever propaganda the World Government wanted spread.

After her realization, Selena tagged along on her mom's next supply trip to Loguetown. Giving her mom the excuse that she wanted to learn more about cultures around the world, she went to a courier service that had outposts in all of the Blues. She requested that they deliver the Sunday paper, which contained the highlights from the whole week, from each of the Blues to her home on Valhalla. They had thought it was a weird request, especially coming from a six year old, but didn't have any problems setting it up. It cost her basically all of her weekly allowance, but the amount of information she had learned over the past two years had shown her it was more than worth it.

She had still been unable to get information from the Grand Line though, and that had been what she was really interested in. Luckily for her, she had two contacts in the Grand Line she could squeeze info from. She had started writing letters to her dad and jiji when she initiated her letter correspondence to Nami and Nojiko, realizing that it was a good way to keep in touch with them. She didn't hear back as often from Garp and Hitoshi though, since they were always on the move and the News Coo had a hard time tracking them down. She would usually receive a letter from Hitoshi once every couple of months. They were usually two to three pages long and contained detailed descriptions of his day-to-day life. On the other hand, she was lucky if she got a paragraph from Garp every four or five months.

She asked them to send a paper whenever they could, giving them the same excuse she had given her mom. Hitoshi tried to send one whenever he wrote, and most times he would leave in the bounty posters that came with the paper since he was given a binder full of the new bounty posters by HQ whenever they came out. Garp never sent her anything, but she was pretty sure he just forgot she had asked. 

She had lucked out a couple of months ago when her dad had sent her the bounty posters of the top officers of the Red Haired Pirates, which she showed to Benn.

"I see," he drawled, somehow speaking without dropping the lit cigarette from his mouth. "You're remarkably well-informed for such a little kid."

"Hey! I'm not a little kid!" she retorted with some heat. "I'm eight!"

She was very proud to finally be considered a big kid, thank you very much.

"Plus, how many little kids do you know who have a full-time job?" she asked, further defending herself.

"Yeah, yeah. You're a regular working girl," Lucky Roo interrupted. "Do you think we could get another pitcher of this stuff? It was really good," he said while taking a bite out of a hunk of meat.

Selena huffed, but shuffled off to the bar anyways. As she left, she heard Lucky Roo tell Benn that there was no need to "interrogate innocent children." She scoffed. If only they knew.

By the time they finished the second pitcher, Shanks was completely wasted. To be fair, he had drank the most out of the three of them since Benn was pacing himself and Lucky Roo was stuffing his face.

He didn't want to say it, but the squirt had been right. That fruity cocktail was deceptively lethal. It was worthy of the name "warrior's elixir." Not that he was ever going to admit it.

He decided that it was going to be the only thing the Red Haired Pirates were going to be drinking for the rest of the night. He needed the rest of the crew to get on his level. It wouldn't look right if he was the drunkest one there. He had to maintain the illusion that he could hold his liquor and that he hadn't been taken down by a fruity pink drink. 

Selena watched in amusement as one of the most dangerous pirate crews in the world partied like frat boys. After the beer pong tournament ended, with Yasopp's team declared the undefeated champions of course, she introduced the crew to the wonders of flip cup and kings.

Surprisingly, Benn was freakishly good at flip cup. It was kind of cute to see someone so serious let loose around his crew. She may have developed a small crush on him over the course of the night. She couldn't help it! He was smart, cool, and handsome. She also couldn't help but admire the way he looked out for the rest of the crew.

To her dismay, Shanks noticed the way her eyes seemed to follow Benn around the room. Of course the one person who would stoop so low as to tease an eight year old was the one who noticed. Why that man got such enjoyment out of bullying little kids, she would never understand. 

"Hey, squirt! Come here!" Shanks called. Thinking that he needed a refill, Selena walked over to him and stood by his chair. 

"You're not going to try to steal my first mate from me, are you?" Shanks teased.

Selena felt her cheeks heat up. She hoped that her tan skin and the dim lighting hid her blush from view.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she hedged.

"Oh really? So you wouldn't mind if I called Benn over here and told him you've been watching him all night?"

"Of course not," she bluffed.

Shanks cupped his mouth with his hand so that his voice would carry across the room.

Selena began to sweat. He wouldn't actually go through with it, would he? Who would be so cruel?

"OH BE-!" 

Selena flung herself at Shanks and covered his mouth with a hard _smack_.

"Please don't," she begged. Shanks responded by licking her hand.

"Oh, ew!" she shouted, wiping her hand on her denim shorts. "What are you, five?!"

"You liiiiike him~!" Shanks sing-songed, basically confirming her previous statement. At least he had kept his voice down.

"You're just mad because a cute girl chose your first mate over you!" she retorted childishly. 

"Am not!" he replied, sticking out his tongue at her.

"What's going on here?" Benn's deep voice asked from somewhere behind her.

She quickly turned on the spot and answered him before Shanks could get a word in.

"Shanks is jealous because you're my favorite pirate of all time and not him!" she replied swiftly.

"Is that true, captain?" he asked as he joined them at the table. Damn, he was really feeling a buzz now. That drink looked so cute and harmless but it was no joke. He was never going to underestimate a pink drink again.

"I'm not jealous!" Shanks shouted.

"And I'm your favorite pirate of all time, huh?" Benn asked Selena, completely ignoring his captain's outburst.

"Well, you guys are the only pirates I've ever met, but yeah. You're my favorite so far," she responded shyly.

Benn chuckled and promptly pulled Selena onto his lap. He really liked kids, but they usually gravitated towards his immature captain. It was probably because Shanks acted like a kid most of the time. But still, it felt good to be someone's favorite for once. 

Selena didn't know what to do. Benn Beckman was treating her like his personal teddy bear! She had to stifle a squeal of excitement when he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Just accept it, captain. You didn't get the girl this time."

Shank's crew laughed at his expense, most of them having listened in after Benn had walked over.

" _I'm not jealous, dammit!_ " 

The rest of the night was filled with good conversation and good drinks. Eventually Etsuko closed down the kitchen and joined Selena in serving the rowdy pirates. At one point someone in the crew pulled out a guitar and started playing various sea shanties, which everyone was quick to join in. Selena laughed and sang along, feeling completely content. Seeing such a happy crew, and how they acted like a genuine family, made her think that a pirate's life wouldn't be so bad.

They closed off the night with a rousing rendition of _Bink's Saké_ , and she couldn't have pictured a better ending to a perfect evening.

* * *

On the other side of the Red Line and oceans away, a tone dial echoed the same song. 

" _Yohohoho, Yohohoho~_ " Brook sang along.

He had lost track of how many years he had spent drifting in the Florian Triangle. With the thick fog obscuring all forms of light, he had no way of telling how many days had gone by, let alone how many years. He didn't know how long it had been since he last saw the sun or the stars.

Trapped on the ship where all of his friends had died, Brook frittered the days away with only the ghosts of his crew for company.

He had lived through every captain's worst nightmare. He had watched helplessly as all of his men died, one by one, and he had been unable to do anything.

When the revive-revive fruit had brought him back, he had been pleased to learn that he would be able to fulfill his promise to his crew and to Laboon. He searched for his body with a single-minded determination, driven by his need to keep his word.

Once his soul and body were reunited, he couldn't help but wonder if the revive-revive fruit was a gift or a curse. Here he was, alive, but trapped in a sea of misery. He was stranded on his old ship, which had once been a sign of the strength of the Rumbar Pirates but was now their roving graveyard. He was forced to live on without them, knowing that he had failed them as a captain.

After what he had to assume were decades of solitude, the only things keeping him sane were his dream of seeing Laboon once more and the sound of his crew's last performance.

So Brook continued to sing along.

" _Yohohoho, Yohohoho~_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I had planned to include another Garp visit and another visit to Cocoyashi, but the Red Haired Pirates kind of took over.
> 
> I just couldn't get the idea of this badass crew all getting drunk off of a cute pink drink out of my head. Trust me, the drinks that taste like they don't have alcohol in them always fuck me up the worst. Plus, Benn Beckman reminds me of my first puppy crush so it seemed fitting that he would be Selena's. I hope he didn't seem too out of character, but if he did then let's blame it on how much he had to drink.
> 
> I also kept forgetting that Shanks only had one hand and had to revise that section a bunch of times.
> 
> Last edited on 3/28/18.


	4. Of Gods and Girls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally going to see some of the (small) changes Selena has inadvertently caused! I explain everything further in the end notes, if you're curious. Thank you again for your kind reviews!

_Ten years before Romance Dawn_

* * *

Garp was furious.

He had come back to the East Blue much later than he expected. He had somehow gotten roped in to chasing Kaido around the New World, only to stumble into Whitebeard's territory. He got into a scuffle with his old rival, which was always fun, but it had delayed his visit home for a few months.

Luckily, he was able to cross the Red Line by going through Mariejois. He then crossed through the Calm Belt back into the East Blue, which he had been able to do ever since he had his ship plated in seastone. His men had complained about all of the extra rowing they had to do in order to compensate for the lack of wind, but he had just laughed and told them it was a good workout. Anyone who disagreed with him got a Fist of Love to the head.

sOnce he docked in Foosha Village, he had expected to spend some time training his cute little grandson to be a good marine.

Next time he saw that red haired brat he was getting an armament hardened fist to the face, without the love.

Nothing Garp said could dissuade Luffy from his newfound dream. He knew that Luffy was an impressionable kid – but he couldn't have guessed that a New World level pirate crew was going to dock on sleepy little Dawn Island and fill his grandson's head with dreams of the open sea, adventure, and the pirate life.

It hadn't passed his notice that the part Luffy was most enamored by was having his own crew that would follow him anywhere. He felt a pang of guilt at the fact that his grandson was so lonely that he would turn to a life of crime so that he could make some friends.

Makino had told Garp during his last visit about how the other children were scared of Luffy's strength, and how he sometimes hurt others without realizing it. He had hoped that Luffy wouldn't suffer the same way he did growing up. The Monkey family was blessed with good genetics that helped them heal quickly and made them stronger than the average person, but it also meant that they were more destructive than they meant to be. He had hoped the marine training he had forced on Luffy would help him focus his strength into something productive, but it seemed to have backfired and only made him stronger.

He had never considered that Luffy was going through the same things he had as a kid. He knew what it was like to be told that he "played too rough" and to have the parents of the children of the village forbid them from playing with him. He had even thought of himself as a monster until he joined the marines and used his strength for good. He channeled his destructive tendencies into beating up criminals and protecting civilians. It was the first time that he felt like he truly belonged somewhere, like he had found his life's purpose. It was one of the reasons he hoped his grandchildren would join the marines one day, so that they could find that same sense of fulfillment too.

He hadn't seen Luffy having the same problems he did though, since the boy was so damn charismatic. Even though he spent very little time with his grandson, it was evident that he just had this sort of  _pull_  to him. He saw it in the way Luffy interacted with Makino, how she viewed him like a son. He saw it in the way the villagers doted on Luffy, and how everyone he met seemed to smile a little brighter after talking to him. He even felt it himself; he was just so simple and so  _good_  that everyone wanted to be around him.

But Luffy was also reckless and had hurt a few of the children in the village. The injuries weren't anything to scoff at either. He had actually broken a kid's arm while they were playing tag, and it wasn't an isolated event. Eventually enough of the kids had been hurt by Luffy that none of them wanted to play with him anymore. Makino had even told Garp that Luffy had once come home crying because the other kids had called him a "freak" and a few other degrading names. Luffy had bounced back and had acted fine by the next day, but Garp knew what that was like. He knew Luffy must have been extremely lonely without having anyone he could relate to.

Which was why he was dragging the brat to Dadan's. He had originally planned to spend a few days with Luffy, maybe drop him in a pit filled with snakes to toughen him up a bit, then cross the island and check in on Ace. But those plans had gone to shit when he saw his adorable grandson wearing  _that damn hat_  and shouting that he was going to be king of the pirates for everyone to hear. He then learned that the Red Haired pirates had docked there for almost a full year. And, oh yeah, Luffy was a rubberman now.

It was his worst nightmare come true.

If the celestial dragons found out that the son of Dragon, a carrier of the will of D, wanted to be king of the pirates they would order him to be executed immediately. Heck, they would probably order that the whole village be executed, just in case. They wouldn't care that he was a child or that he was the grandson of a marine hero. They would be blinded by their hatred of that middle initial and his father's reputation. If Luffy's lineage got out, Garp was pretty sure there would be nothing in the world he could do to protect him.

It made his next course of action incredibly obvious.

He was going to hide his loudmouthed little grandson with his extremely temperamental grandson. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Ace had his own set of issues that Garp felt in no way qualified to handle. The kid was a compressed ball of aggression and self-loathing that combusted with little provocation. Garp wasn't the type of person that could sit down with Ace and talk everything out with him, even if Ace was willing to do so (which he really wasn't). Ace didn't see him like a real family member. In his eyes, Garp only adopted him out of a sense of obligation for a dying man. Ace thought that Garp was only doing the right thing and didn't actually believe that Garp saw him like a grandson.

Which wasn't true at all. Garp cared about Ace and loved him like family. Yes, he was the son of Gol D. Roger, his sworn adversary. But he had also respected the man. He was a pirate, but he had morals and treated his crew like family. He was deserving of the title King of the Pirates. Garp saw all of Roger's good qualities in Ace – his refusal to back down, his perseverance in the face of adversity, and his independence. He had accepted Ace into his family and nothing could ever change that.

But Garp wasn't a man that expressed his feelings easily. He was a man of action, not words. He showed people he cared about them by helping them get stronger, by teaching them how to protect themselves, and by protecting them from threats they couldn't handle on their own. Even if he did bare his soul to Ace, he didn't think Ace would believe him. He needed to hear that he deserved to live from someone else, someone who had no obligation to him.

If anyone could work their way into Ace's heart, it would be Luffy. The brat was resilient and stubborn as all hell. He wouldn't take Ace's insults or rejections to heart, especially once he saw that Ace wasn't scared of him. In Ace, Luffy would find a friend that he couldn't hurt or scare off. Ace would be able to keep Luffy in line and out of trouble. The two boys would be good for each other.

Plus, no one would be able to find either of them if they came looking. Why would the son of Gol D. Roger or the son of Dragon be living in the middle of the jungle with a bunch of mountain bandits? He knew Dadan wouldn't say anything. She may have been a hardened criminal, but she was scared shitless of Garp and wouldn't cross him. Besides, deep down he knew that Dadan was a good woman. She put up a tough exterior but she cared deeply for those close to her, even if she didn't show it. He truly considered her to be a good friend and trusted her to look out for his grandsons. It was the perfect plan.

So he scribbled a quick note to Makino telling her where he was taking Luffy and then set off, dragging him by his rubbery cheek. Leaving a note isn't something he would have usually done, he wasn't really the most considerate person, but he knew Etsuko or Hitoshi would be worried sick if something happened and Selena disappeared. Makino was a first time parent too, so he knew she would get just as worried. He had also gotten used to jotting down notes for Selena, even if he never did remember to mail them to her.

The trip across the island was a long one, but he used the time to berate Luffy about his life choices. No grandchild of his was going to become a filthy pirate, damn it!

They made it to Dadan's hut by mid-afternoon, Luffy complaining the whole way. He was not happy about his Gramps somehow hurting him even though he was a rubberman now. He shuddered. Gramps was so scary.

Garp dropped Luffy on his head and banged on the rickety wooden door.

"WHO THE HELL-"

Dadan cut herself off after swinging the door open and coming face-to-face with Garp the Hero.

"Oh thank god. You're here to take the brat, right? It's about damn time! He's driving us insane!" she shouted.

Ace watched the scene play out from the safety of his hiding spot. He had climbed up a tree and hidden on a high branch as soon as he had heard Garp stomping through the forest. He had been dragging his kill back to the hut for the bandits to cook when he had heard the geezer's loud voice. He had been surprised to see that Garp was dragging along a kid behind him.

Even though Ace had only been watching the kid for a few minutes, it was obvious to him that he was a total idiot. He was running around all over the place, chasing after anything that caught his attention. He was currently trying to catch a blue butterfly.

Ace turned his attention back to Dadan, who had been ranting about him for the past ten minutes. He was surprised Garp let her go on for so long.

Garp let Dadan complain about Ace. Things were worse than he had originally thought. He couldn't have brought Luffy at a better time. Luffy would be able to help Ace in a way he couldn't. Seeing that Dadan was trailing off, he decided to cut in.

"I'm not here to take Ace," he said. "I'm here to drop off my grandson Luffy. You're going to be taking care of him now."

Dadan's jaw dropped.

"What!? Another one?! We can't even handle this one!"

Ace sneered. He knew there was something he didn't like about that kid. That little idiot was Garp's  _real_  grandson. He probably got everything handed to him since he was the grandson of a marine hero. He had probably never worked for anything in his life. Ace hated kids like that.

Which is why he threw a spitball at him.

Luffy jumped when something wet hit the back of his neck. "Ew! Who did this?! Say you're sorry!" he shouted, waving the paper spitball in the air. He turned around, not seeing anyone until a kid with jet-black hair dropped out of a tree. He had freckles sprinkled across his nose and cheeks, a metal pipe strapped to his back, and the meanest look Luffy had ever seen.

He had never seen so much hatred bottled up on one person in his life. Luffy wasn't the smartest person around, but he was good at instinctually knowing what people were feeling. In this kid's eyes he could see rage, disgust, derision… but most of all, he saw hurt. Luffy could tell that he was a good person, but something happened that made him this way. Maybe they could be friends and neither one of them would have to hurt anymore?

"Hey!" Luffy called out. He then did his best to channel his inner Shanks. "You can spit on me or spill drinks on me, it's nothing to get worked up over! Let's be friends!" he said, adding in his signature D grin for good measure.

Ace scoffed. What was this dumbass playing at?

Garp took this moment to cut in. "Luffy, this is Ace. He's three years older than you. Ace, this is Luffy. He's going to be living here from now on."

Luffy's shoulders drooped. He was really going to miss Makino and the other villagers, but maybe this place wouldn't be so bad if he could be friends with Ace?

"I was planning on staying for a few days, but there's something that I need to check up on," Garp continued.

He didn't understand how the Red Haired Pirates had spent a year in the East Blue and had gone unnoticed. He knew that ever since Hitoshi was reassigned to Paradise that there was a lack of strong officers in the East Blue, but no one had reported even a sighting of the pirate crew. Either the Red Haired brat was better at covering up his tracks than Garp gave him credit for, or there was something extremely wrong with the way the marines were structured in the East Blue. It was the weakest sea, but that was no excuse for dereliction of duty.

He had left his men docked in Foosha without telling them where he had gone, so he couldn't just stay here. He also planned on calling Senny and reporting what had happened. Someone was going to have to go on an inspection tour of the East Blue to find out how a New World crew had taken a vacation here and no one had noticed. It was either incompetence or corruption, and neither possibility looked good for the marines. He knew that it was going to end up in his hands, since he was the one who discovered the problem. He was going to have to push back his visit to Valhalla a couple of months, especially since he wanted to come back to Dawn to check in on Luffy and Ace again. He hoped Selena wouldn't be too disappointed.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon to pick up on your training!" Garp said, causing Ace and Luffy to pale.

He almost left then, not one for long goodbyes, but something held him back. He felt better now that Ace and Luffy had each other, and he knew that it would be better to just leave Luffy to befriend Ace on his own instead of trying to force the boys together. He was trying his best to be a good grandfather though, and there was one thing he had always left unsaid.

"I love you, boys. I'll be back soon!" he said, leaving quickly. He didn't want them to feel forced to say it back.

Ace followed Garp's retreating form with his eyes. What the hell was that!? He probably only said it because his real grandson was there and he didn't want to awkwardly exclude Ace. Yeah, that had to be it. There was no way he actually meant it. Who could love the son of the devil himself?

Luffy stared after Gramps in shock. He didn't know Gramps loved him! He knew that Makino loved him because even though she never said it, she always smiled at him and gave him a lot of free food. Gramps was always laughing and beating him up! But if he said it, it must have been true!

"Shishishi," he chuckled softly. "Bye, Gramps."

He then turned towards Ace, intent on being his friend, but Ace had disappeared when he wasn't looking. Whatever, he would just follow him tomorrow. He wasn't going to give up.

Instead, he turned to face the manly woman still standing at the doorway frozen in shock. He still had something to say to her.

"I hate mountain bandits!"

* * *

Selena was lost in thought as she wiped down the tables at Mama's. She had cut her morning workout short so that she could help her mom clean up after the disaster the Red Haired pirates had left behind.

She assumed that they had slept on their ship and had set sail soon after sunrise, because by the time she ran by the docks during her morning laps around the island they were gone.

She grabbed a broom and began sweeping up the layer of confetti that covered the floor. She didn't even remember where that came from, and she hadn't been one of the ones drinking! Last night had been crazy.

Which brought her back to her current dilemma. What were the chances of such a famous crew docking at this small island and choosing to drink at her family's bar? She knew that the Red Haired crew had spent almost a year in the East Blue in the series, doing who knows what, but it just seemed  _too_  coincidental.

She had lived in this world for almost eight years and, if she counted last night, she had met eight characters that had been featured in the series. She had even met a Strawhat! It just seemed too incidental, too  _predestined_ , for her to be able to blame it on chance. Was there something drawing these people to her? Was fate forcing her to interfere with the story? She didn't think anything had changed yet, but it was only a matter of time before she fucked something up without meaning to.

The events of last night had made her reconsider the assumptions she had made three years ago. When Garp had shown up and she realized exactly  _where_  she was, she had just presumed that her existence here was a mistake. But she could no longer dismiss the notion that something, some higher power or whatever, had brought her here  _intentionally_.

And the thought was fucking terrifying.

She really should have thought everything through better, but to be fair, she had been five when she became fully aware of the extent of her reincarnation status. She also knew that her low self-esteem might have been partly to blame.

It was something she had constantly worked on in her past life; it had stemmed from body issues that had begun in her middle school years but once she learned how to be confident in her own skin, her self-worth became dependent on other things. Her self-esteem changed according to how successful she viewed herself to be. When things were going well in her life, she felt good about herself. Whenever a romantic relationship ended, she was having a hard time at work, or her friendships seemed to be fading away, her self-esteem was the first thing to take a toll. Learning to love herself was a constant struggle.

It was also something most people from  _before_  would never have guessed about her. People tended to confuse confidence with high self-esteem, which just wasn't the case. She was an outgoing person and never had a hard time talking to people or being the life of a party. Her best friends from  _before_  might have known due to her tendency to use self-deprecating humor to deflect uncomfortable or deeply emotional topics, but they had never brought it up.

So the thought that she had been  _chosen_  to live in this world scared her shitless.

What was she supposed to do? Was her determination to stay out of the story wrong? Was someone, some god or whatever,  _expecting_  her to change things? Why else would she be allowed to keep her memories? Was she  _supposed_  to interfere? Was something out there counting on her to make the story better, to lessen the suffering the Strawhats went through?

Not to mention, that was a fuckload of responsibility to place on her shoulders. She was already hard on herself, as her insane workout schedule showed, but now she was being held to some impossible standards by some deity? Or was it by fate itself?

It was just so fucking frustrating! She was never going to get the answers to any of these questions. She was never going to know whether she was doing the right or wrong thing by letting the story play out.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice her mom come up behind her.

Etsuko watched as her daughter swept the same corner for at least ten minutes. Something had been bothering her since last night. She had been dazed throughout breakfast and hadn't focused during her lessons.

"I think that corner is clean enough, angel," Etsuko said, making Selena jump.

"I didn't see you there, kaa-chan. Sorry."

"Come here," Etsuko said, gesturing to one of the dining chairs. "Do you want to talk about what's been bothering you?"

Selena took a seat in front of her mother and thought it over. She could use advice, but it wasn't like she could tell her mother the truth. Maybe if she hadn't lied for so long, if she had come clean the moment she had learned enough words to do so, she would have been able to confide in her mom. But she had been living this lie for so long, and she didn't want her parents to see her any differently. Would they hate her for stealing the body of their little girl? Would they even be able to look her in the eyes if she told them the truth?

No, Selena was flawed but at least she was self-aware. She knew that deep down she was an inherently selfish person. She didn't want to jeopardize her relationship with her parents for anything and would rather keep her past life a secret.

Etsuko gave Selena a few moments to collect her thoughts. She began running her fingers through her daughter's thick hair and untangling any knots she found. Selena seemed to melt at her touch.

Selena sighed happily. She loved when her mom played with her hair. In her past life her hair was made up of a mix of island girl waves and curls, which looked nice but frizzed easily. She had hated when people had touched her hair  _before_. She was really grateful for her hair in this life, which was not only much easier to take care of but also allowed her to enjoy when people ran their fingers through it.

Selena hummed to herself. She wanted to hear her mom's thoughts on the subject, but would have to be very vague in how she worded her questions.

"Kaa-chan, how do you know if you're a good person?"

Etsuko finished finger combing Selena's hair and parted it down the middle. As she spoke, she began styling Selena's hair into two french braids.

"Is this because of the pirates we met last night?" she inquired, curious to find out where her daughter was coming from.

Selena frowned. "Kind of." It wasn't untrue.

"I was surprised to find out they were a pirate crew, to be honest. They seemed like good people and were completely respectful," Etsuko replied. "It just goes to show that you can't judge people right away. There are good pirates out there, just like there are bad marines."

Selena sighed. This wasn't helping. "But how do you know if  _you're_ a good person? How do you know when you should do the right thing for you or when you should do the right thing for the greater good?"

"Are those two choices usually different? In what situation are you forced to choose between yourself and the rest of humanity?"

"Sometimes what's best for the people you care about isn't what's best for the rest of the world. Like we would love if tou-chan stayed safe at home with us, but he's helping a lot of people as a marine. What if you knew you could do something to help a friend, but it could have horrible consequences for other people?"

Etsuko chuckled to herself. She had hoped Selena would have hit puberty before she started asking deep philosophical questions, but her daughter had always been precocious.

"I think that it really depends on the situation, but if I have to give an answer, I would choose what's best for the people I love. I don't know if that makes me a bad person. What I do know, is that I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew there was something I could have done to help my friend and instead I did nothing because of some  _possible_  outcomes."

Etsuko tied off the first braid and started the second one before continuing.

"I think that the situation with your father is a bad example because Hitoshi loves being a marine. Yes, I worry about him, but I know he wouldn't be happy living a peaceful life on Valhalla. When considering the hypothetical situation with your friend, you have to take a lot of other things into account too. Do you know for sure if the consequences of your actions will cause harm to others? What would your friend want you to do? Would you be able to live with yourself if you do nothing?"

Etsuko finished braiding Selena's hair in comfortable silence. She didn't really know where this line of questioning had come from, but she hoped that she had been of some help to her daughter.

"Thank you, kaa-chan," Selena said softly. "You gave me a lot to think about."

"Okay, angel. I think that's enough philosophizing for the day. I made some sandwiches for you to share with Kingsley. Go on and have some fun. I can handle the restaurant without you until later tonight."

"Thank you so much! I love you! See you later!" she exclaimed, giving her mom a quick hug before grabbing the picnic basket resting on the bar and bounding out the door.

She ran over to her and Kingsley's usual meeting spot. She had found the clearing sometime last year during one of her runs through the forest. Funnily enough, it wasn't far from the ditch where she had first met Kingsley.

The clearing was deep into the forest, so no one ever interrupted their sparring sessions. It was surrounded by redwoods and large oaks on all sides, providing good shade and cover. There was also a creek that ran through it, which attracted fireflies. If their training ever ran late, the clearing would be illuminated up by hundreds of little floating lights.

When she finally reached the clearing, Kingsley was already there and running through his kata. She eyed his form, making sure he was following through and using his core to power his punches. Kingsley had a fighting style that was completely different from hers; he moved like a boxer. He focused on quick footwork and heavy blows.

"You need to step with your punches and use your momentum to add power to them," Selena said in lieu of a greeting.

Kingsley wiped the sweat from his brow. "I'll work on it."

"Kaa-chan made sandwiches," Selena said, waving the picnic basket in the air.

"Awesome. I'll get the blanket."

They had taken the time to hollow out the trunk of a tree to make a storage space, in which they kept a picnic blanket, training materials, and another set of clothes. Every couple of weeks they had to clear out whatever animal tried to make their home in it, but it beat having to make multiple trips back home whenever they needed something.

They laid out the blanket and split the sandwiches between them. Etsuko had even included some juice boxes.

"So, does your mom still think we just play all day?" Kingsley asked, while taking a bite of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They were both laid out on their backs and were soaking up the sun's rays.

Selena chuckled. "Yeah, she doesn't think I mean it when I tell her we're training. She thinks we're just messing around. It's probably for the best though."

Kingsley shrugged. "It's not like we aren't having fun…"

"Yeah, I always have fun when I'm with you," Selena said unabashedly.

Kingsley felt his face warm up. "You're not too bad yourself," he said, which was the closest he ever came to giving a compliment.

Selena noted Kingsley's embarrassment. "You love me!"

"No, I don't!" he quickly refuted. "I just said you aren't completely horrible!"

"Which in 'Kingsley speech' means that you love me and that I'm your best friend and the little sister you never had!" Selena exclaimed while dodging the half-hearted kicks Kingsley was sending her way in retaliation.

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, giving up. "There's no arguing with you."

Selena rolled her eyes. "You just don't like that I always know what you  _really_  mean."

"How did I ever get stuck with you?" Kingsley lamented.

"It's because you're a big softie who doesn't like seeing little kids cry," Selena answered helpfully.

"I should have left you in that ditch," he grumbled.

"Oh, come on. Would it kill you to say something nice about me? Who else would you go on adventures with? Who else would you fuss over while pretending not to care? Who else would help you train and get stronger?"

Kingsley scrunched up his face. He really did love Selena in an annoying little sister type of way. She was his best friend. But every time he tried to work up the courage to tell her that, his words would get stuck in his throat.

He furrowed his brow. He was going to do this. He wasn't good at telling people how he felt; but Selena was always telling him how much she loved him and complimenting him, so she deserved to hear it back at least once.

He felt beads of sweat appear on his forehead from the effort.

"Y-you're a-alright," he finally managed to stutter out.

Selena released the breath she was holding with a sigh. "I'll take it."

Selena laid back on the blanket, content to just watch the clouds float on by while they waited for their food to settle. They had learned the hard way that you shouldn't spar right after a meal.

"Hey, Selena?" Kingsley asked after a while.

"Yeah?" she answered back somewhat sleepily.

"Remember when you told me about your dream?"

A few weeks after Kingsley had first started training with her, he had asked her why she was so intent on getting stronger. She had told him about how she wanted to be able to protect her family, but she had also told him about how one day she wanted to see the world. She went on to tell him about how she wanted to explore new places, meet new people, and basically experience everything that this world had to offer. She explained that in order to follow her dream, she had to be strong.

When she had asked him what his dream was, he had told her that he didn't know yet.

"Did you figure it out? What your dream is?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "It hit me when Grandpa Marcus was telling me another one of his stories from when he had gone out to sea. He was telling me all about how he had gone deep-sea fishing and had accidentally baited a sea king. While he was talking, all I could think about is how I wanted that."

"Your dream is to go deep-sea fishing?" Selena asked incredulously. Not that there was anything wrong with that… she was just expecting something a little grander.

"No, you idiot," Kingsley said, slapping his palm to his forehead. "I want to go out to sea."

He leaned back on his forearms and tilted his head to catch the afternoon sun.

"Grandpa Marcus sailed all around the East Blue when he was young to make money. He sailed from port to port, catching and selling rare fish at each market. He set out to sea because he had to. There were too many fishermen settled on Valhalla at the time, which meant a lot of competition at the market and having to sell at a lower price."

He then turned his head to look Selena in the eyes.

"Even though he went out to sea out of need and not because he wanted to, he still says that those were the best days of his life. He woke up every morning with the wind at his back and the waves under his feet. He lived off the ocean. It's even how he met my grandma. He says it was the adventure of a lifetime. That's what I want. Everyday I go out fishing with him in the mornings and I can  _feel_  it. I feel free when I'm on the open ocean – like nothing can touch me. Like I  _belong_ there. The sea calls out to me and one day I'm going to answer," he said with pure conviction.

Selena couldn't help but feel happy that he finally figured out what he wanted out of life.

"It sounds like you want to be a pirate," she said, shooting him a crooked smile.

Kingsley ran his hand over his buzzed maroon hair. He didn't hate the idea of being a pirate. He knew that overall they weren't a good bunch, but from the stories he heard from Hitoshi and Selena he also knew that there were respectable crews out there like the Whitebeard or the Roger Pirates.

"I don't know if I'm going to be a pirate, a marine, or if I just end up on a crew with people who feel the same way I do. All I know is that I'm meant to live out on the open sea."

"The sea is a dangerous place," she responded.

"It is," he confirmed.

"You're going to have to get stronger. It won't be easy."

Kingsley nodded. He then got up onto his feet and held out a hand to help her up. "Will you help me?"

Selena grasped his hand.

"Always."

* * *

Selena took her time wiping down each glass before allocating them behind the bar. She was listening to one of her regulars, Bruce, complain about his business partner and a few of his employees. Apparently someone was stealing funds from his store, but he couldn't figure out who the culprit was. He didn't want to accuse anyone without evidence, but this person was skimming from their profits every week and it was starting to add up.

Selena frowned. As the bartender at the most popular bar on the island, she heard a fair amount of gossip. People usually didn't pay her any mind when in deep conversations with their friends and didn't censor their conversations around her. It also helped that she had a very earnest type of face, which led to people opening up to her. A lot of the people who sat alone at the bar to drink away their problems just wanted someone to talk to; they just wanted to know that someone out there was listening and cared about what was going on in their life.

Surprisingly, people were even more open with her now than when she worked at a bar in her past life. She thought that since she was a child people wouldn't want to talk to her about their problems since she couldn't be trusted to give good advice, but instead people had no reservations talking to her because she was obviously a kid and wouldn't be judging them like an adult would.

People were grateful to find someone that would just listen without an ulterior motive or scrutiny. Selena did her best to be there for people, and when she could, she gave advice or pushed them to make realizations for themselves. She was happy to help these people however she could. It made her feel good to be needed and to make life just a little bit better for someone, if she could. Plus, it gave her a chance to utilize the skills she had worked hard for  _before_ ; she had died a semester before she would have graduated with her masters in psychology. She had always pictured herself becoming a therapist  _before_.

As a byproduct of her informal therapy sessions, Selena basically knew everything that went on in Valhalla. She collected secrets, careful not to betray anyone's trust, but grateful for any snippet of information she gathered. Knowledge was power, after all. Sometimes she was lucky enough to hear a bit of what was going on in other oceans, either from traveling merchants that stopped in Valhalla to buy liquor or from gossip the locals had picked up on trips to Loguetown.

Which was why she was a bit conflicted. She knew who was stealing from Bruce's store. He was a very good boss, beloved by his employees and business partner alike. The culprit was actually his wife, Ava. She was a wretched woman who came in on Sunday nights to drink with her girlfriends. While the other women in the friend group were respectable, either business owners themselves or married to someone who was, Ava was horrible. She was known amongst the servers in town for being rude to anyone who waited on her, and Selena agreed. She was self-entitled and stuck up. She had even drunkenly admitted last week that she had only married Bruce because of his successful business. Whenever she didn't have enough money to pay for one of her shopping sprees, she "borrowed" cash from the safe in Bruce's office. She had even joked about how easy it was to break into since the combination to the safe was the date of their wedding anniversary.

She wanted to tell Bruce what she knew, but unfortunately, Ava was one of her regulars too. Ava had felt comfortable enough at Mama's to speak freely, and Selena felt dirty using that against her. She would just have to help Bruce figure it out on his own without directly divulging the information herself.

She refilled Bruce's beer and placed it in front of him.

"Are you sure it's someone who works at the store?" she asked innocently. "They always have nice things to say about you so that doesn't make a lot of sense to me."

"It has to be," he slurred. "No one else has access to the till or the office."

"It would have to be someone who's not good with money though, to make it so obvious."

"Yeah," he agreed. "They're not even trying to hide what they're doing."

"So have you noticed someone close to you buy a lot of new stuff? I'm guessing that if they're stealing money every week that means that they're spending it all really fast," she added.

Bruce seemed to look past her, lost in thought.

"Maybe it's not someone who works there," she prodded. "It could be a customer that knows the place really well or someone who just goes into the store a lot."

"…It can't be," he muttered to himself. "She wouldn't do that to me. To  _us_."

He seemed to forget that Selena was there.

"But where else would she get the money for that new dress she bought? Or the new silverware? Shit.  _Shit_. No, you know what? I need to talk to her."

He stood up and dug some cash out of his pocket.

"Thanks for listening, Selena-chan. You're a good kid. Tell your mom I said goodnight, won't you?"

"Of course Bruce-san! I hope everything works out for you!" Selena called out as he walked away.

Hopefully she did the right thing there. Bruce seemed like a good person. He didn't see the truth about Ava since she acted sweet whenever he was around. He deserved better.

She sighed. Whatever ended up happening, she would hear about it sooner or later.

She made her way to each table, eavesdropping as she took orders and refilled drinks.

"Did you hear about that new store they're opening up? I'm scared they're going to drive Hiro out of business."

"You've just got to try this drink they make here…"

"The newest recruits are going to be starting their training next week. We're going to have to babysit them for the first couple of days and make sure they don't take on more than they can handle. I swear, at least three of them puke every year…"

"…It turns out she was cheating on him the whole time!"

Not everything she heard was useful, but she catalogued it all away just in case. If she was lucky, she would hear a rumor about the Grand Line or a famous pirate crew. When she combined the information she garnered at the bar and what she learned from the papers she was able to get a good picture of everything that went on in the East Blue, and have a vague feel about what the rest of the world was going through. Of course, she had to cut through a lot of bullshit and whatever propaganda the government was pushing.

But still, she felt like she had a good idea of what was going on in the world. As far as she knew, everything was going according to canon. She still hadn't decided whether that was a good thing or not.

* * *

About a week after the Red Haired crew had stopped by, Hitoshi came home.

Selena was beyond excited to have her dad home for a month. Not only did she really miss him, but she could tell her mom really needed him. Etsuko had been feeling under the weather lately, not enough to warrant closing down the restaurant, but she was always tired and didn't have much energy. Selena hoped that having her dad home would lessen her mom's workload and lift her spirits.

There was a tearful reunion – and by that she meant that her dad had gotten a little misty eyed when he spotted her and Etsuko waiting for him on the shore. He had sent them a messenger bird alerting them that he would be home that day, so they had wanted to surprise him with a picnic on the beach. Etsuko would have to open Mama's a little later than usual today, but she thought it was worth it.

After a countless amount of hugs, they finally settled down on the quilt Etsuko had set up with lunch.

"You've really grown, sweetheart," Hitoshi said. "I feel like you look so different every time I come home."

He knew he was missing a lot of Selena's childhood, and seeing how much she changed in-between visits was evidence of that.

"Thanks, tou-chan!" Selena said, trying to keep the mood cheerful. "I've really been training hard so I probably look a lot stronger too, huh?" she added, blatantly fishing for compliments.

"I don't know about all that…" Hitoshi responded. "The only way to see if you've gotten stronger would be a little friendly spar!"

Selena began to sweat a bit. She knew sparring with her dad was invaluable fighting experience, but it was more of a smack down than a spar. He didn't try to hurt her out-right, but he didn't even pretend that she put up any sort of challenge. Sometimes he would let her get a hit in so he could gauge her strength, but her attacks didn't even make him grunt in response. The whole situation was always rather humbling.

Before she could respond, her mother cut in.

"Your  _'training'_  can wait until tomorrow," Etsuko said rather icily. "Today we are going to enjoy our time together as a family."

"Yes, mam!" Hitoshi and Selena responded hastily in unison.

"Perfect!" Etsuko replied, her tone reverting to upbeat once more. "It's been so long since we've all been together."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," Hitoshi said. "They sent me further into the Grand Line this time since they knew I was going to take a month off like I always do at the end of summer." He had been gone for over three months and felt guilty about it.

"Can you tell me about the islands you visited?" Selena asked eagerly. He had sent her letters describing some of the things he saw on the Grand Line, but since he wasn't allowed to talk about what he did for work he mostly wrote about his ship and what his platoon was like.

"Of course, sweetheart! I even brought back postcards from a few places!"

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about what he had seen, which included an island where it was always night, a city made completely of coral, and an archipelago that used candy for currency.

Etsuko and Selena filled him in on everything that went on in Valhalla and told him about the more interesting customers they had served at Mama's. They both decided it was better not to mention the pirate crew that had left not too long ago. Hitoshi would have freaked out if they had told him.

After their long lunch, they opened up Mama's and ran the business as usual. Whenever Hitoshi was home Selena let him take over the bar while she waited and bussed the tables. She never bartended when her dad was home and she was sure he didn't know the extent of her bartending experience. He was always going to see her as his little girl, and she knew he would be upset if he knew how much she had matured while he was away. After all, most parents would be uncomfortable with their kids near alcohol, let alone behind a bar and surrounded by drunk people everyday. Etsuko was blind to it because she had grown up in Mama's and didn't realize it wasn't normal, but Selena was sure her dad would have a problem with it.

Nevertheless, having Hitoshi there made running Mama's so much easier. Selena had asked her mom about hiring someone to help out when he wasn't home, but Etsuko had been dead set against it. Since Mama's Place had opened, the only people who had worked there were part of the family. She didn't want to go against tradition by hiring outside help, even if it made things tougher on them.

After a few days, they had all fallen into their normal routine. Selena's day started with lessons in the morning, which were more fun when Hitoshi was there to add in his knowledge about the world. Next, she would train with her dad. She was still learning about pressure points and how to incorporate her knowledge of them into her fighting style, but her dad had told her that he saw the potential in it. Whenever she did manage to hit a pressure point while they were sparring, he actually felt some pain. She still wasn't able to paralyze limbs and she only hit a pressure point about ten percent of the time, but she was slowly improving. Kingsley usually joined them for lunch and their afternoon training, then headed home for dinner when Hitoshi and Selena left to go help run Mama's.

Her birthday had been a quiet affair, like always. Birthdays just weren't a big deal in this world. Etsuko had baked her a cake and had made Selena's favorite foods, but they didn't really do anything special except spend more time than usual together. Kingsley had joined them for dinner at Mama's, where they exchanged gifts.

Her mother had gotten her a new workout outfit, since she tended to demolish all of her clothes while training. Her dad had gotten her a pair of boots to go with it. They reminded her of combat boots from her old world, and she absolutely loved them. Every once in a while she would come across something that reminded her of  _before_ , and while she had already grieved for her old life she did get a feeling of homesickness or nostalgia every once in a while. Having things like this, which reminded her of what her past life used to be like, made her feel like she had a piece of  _home_  with her.

Kingsley gave her a pair of black, leather, fingerless gloves. It was actually a really sweet gift. Her hands were always covered in cuts and callouses, since she was relentless in her training. The gloves allowed her to retain movement while providing some protection for her knuckles. She had flung herself at him and wrapped him up in a tight hug in thanks, which he returned sheepishly. She started teasing him about his light blush like the good little sister she was, when he made up some ridiculous excuse so he could duck out and save himself from further embarrassment.

It had been a slow night at Mama's, so they closed up early and headed home. The night was clear and there was a wonderfully cool summer breeze, so they decided to sit out on the front porch and drink some lemon tea before heading to bed. Etsuko and Hitoshi took a seat on the rocking chairs, while Selena hopped onto Hitoshi's lap.

They chatted amiably for a bit while sipping on their tea. Selena felt completely at peace; huddled up in her father's arms she felt incredibly safe. It was a wonderful way to end her birthday.

"Sweetheart, have we ever told you the story of how we picked out your name?" Hitoshi asked.

Selena shook her head.

"It's the perfect birthday bedtime story," Etsuko said with a smile.

"I have always been curious about it, since my name doesn't sound anything like either of yours," Selena responded.

The names Etsuko and Hitoshi were obviously Japanese in origin, while she wasn't sure what language her name originated from. Languages in general were very confusing in this world. Everyone spoke Japanese, which made no sense since there wasn't a country named Japan in any of the Blues. When she had asked her mom about it, Etsuko had just told her that it had been the common language since before the void century, and no one knew where it came from.

Selena was actually trilingual now, since she had grown up speaking Spanish and English in her last life. She had been surprised to learn that Spanish and English existed in this world too, but they were secondary languages. While everyone in the world spoke Japanese, many islands had languages specific to their culture. If she had to guess, she would say they spoke Spanish in Dressrosa. Going along with that train of thought, Japanese probably originated from Wano at some point. A lot of history had been lost during the void century, so it wasn't likely she would ever find out the truth. She wondered if Robin would know.

"Well, I was named after my grandfather," Hitoshi said. "But I don't think it suits me at all."

"My parents let the midwife who delivered me pick out my name, since there were complications during birth and she ended up saving my life. But I don't think my name suits me either," Etsuko added.

"You guys should just switch!" Selena giggled. "Your names are more suited for each other anyways."

She had never thought about it before but Hitoshi translated to "even-tempered," which didn't fit her dad at all. Meanwhile, Etsuko meant "child of joy." Her mom wasn't the type to be open with her emotions, so the name came off as kind of ironic.

Hitoshi reached over and grabbed Etsuko's hand, bringing it up to his lips so he could kiss her palm.

"We always joke that our names are a sign that we are meant for each other. There's a myth that states that soul mates are formed when one soul is split in half then put into two different people. We think that the gods must have gotten our names mixed up when putting us into our bodies," Hitoshi said, while Etsuko chuckled softly.

"Actually, that myth originated on the island where we got your name from," Etsuko said, bringing the conversation back around.

"Oh, right!" Hitoshi exclaimed. "So your mother and I had been dating for a little under two years when I was deployed to the first half of the Grand Line. I was still under Garp's command at this point, so I wasn't really worried about anything dangerous happening while I was with him. There wasn't anything in Paradise that posed a threat to Vice Admiral Garp."

"I was concerned because he was going to be gone for a full four months; the longest he had been gone before then was two months," Etsuko jumped in. "It wasn't his first time going into the Grand Line, and I know that Garp-san is very strong, but I still worried."

"About three months into my deployment, we land on an island to check in on things on the World Government's behalf. There wasn't a marine presence on the island and they hadn't heard from the local government there in months, so they sent us to make sure everything was all right."

Selena shuffled forward on his lap so she could see his face and watch him tell the story.

"It had been a routine tour so far," Hitoshi continued. "We basically sailed around Paradise, capturing any pirates we came across and inspecting marine bases as we sailed. I didn't really expect anything out of the ordinary to happen, which is why I didn't see the life-changing news coming."

"I had found out I was pregnant three months into your dad's deployment," Etsuko said. "I was feeling light headed and tired, but I just thought that I had gotten sick again. I went to the doctor anyways, just in case, and I was shocked to find out I was thirteen weeks pregnant. I wanted to tell your dad the news right away, and couldn't wait for a letter to reach him and for him to send back a response. Somehow, I managed to convince the lieutenant that was left in charge of the Loguetown base to use his transponder snail to contact Garp-san. The man was practically pissing himself in fear of dialing up a vice admiral, but he couldn't say no to a determined pregnant woman," Etsuko said with a serene smile on her face that directly contrasted her somewhat sadistic tone.

"We had been docked on Olympus for a few days when I was told to report to Vice Admiral Garp," Hitoshi said. "I thought something had gone wrong, even though we hadn't encountered any trouble during our stay so far. I rushed over to the inn we were staying in, expecting to get new orders or to have to gear up for battle, but instead found a nervous looking Garp. I swear it's the only time I ever saw him looking scared," he laughed.

"I was very…  _adamant_  in my need to talk to you," Etsuko said neutrally.

"Sure, let's go with that.  _Adamant,_ " Hitoshi snorted. "So I walk into shishou's room and I see that he's sweating bullets, which makes me even more anxious than I already was. As soon as he sees me, he practically flings the transponder snail at me and just runs out of the room. Here I am, freaking out and expecting the worst, when I hear Etsuko's voice come through. I'm trying to run through all of the worst-case scenarios when I finally hear her say 'I'm pregnant' and I got a little emotional."

"A  _little_  emotional? You burst into tears," Etsuko said with a teasing smile.

"Yeah, I totally did," Hitoshi admitted. "I was expecting something horrible, and instead I got the best news of my life."

Selena couldn't help but snuggle closer to him after hearing that.

"Meanwhile, I was about to lose my composure. All I can hear is Hitoshi sobbing, and the snail was mimicking his expression but I couldn't tell if he was crying out of joy or sadness. So I start getting emotional because I'm a walking ball of hormones at that point, the transponder snail is dripping snot all over me, and Hitoshi was blubbering incomprehensibly. You have to understand angel, we weren't married and I was worried about having a child out of wedlock since it's kind of looked down on. We had talked about getting engaged, but children and pregnancy weren't things we had ever talked about since we thought that I couldn't have any. Finally, I'm able to make out Hitoshi sobbing 'I'm so ha-ha-happy!' and I start crying out of relief," Etsuko said, a soft smile on her face.

"So we're both crying at this point, when we hear Garp yell through the door 'I'm happy for you two, too!'" Hitoshi said, smiling at the memory. "It turns out he was eavesdropping the whole time."

Selena giggled at her grandfather's antics.

"So to commemorate that day, I bought a book of baby names on that island. Olympus has a really rich culture and history with their own unique language, and we wanted to celebrate that."

Selena was curious. The One Piece world drew many elements from the history and mythology of her old world. A lot of the classic literature she had read was either very similar or the same as from  _before_ , although some stories replaced magic with devil fruits or heroes with infamous pirates. Olympus seemed like a direct reference to Mount Olympus, and she wondered if the whole island was based in Greek mythology.

"Can you tell me more about what it was like there?" Selena asked.

"Sure, sweetheart. The island itself is beautiful. It's a summer island, so it's warm all year round and almost always sunny. The architecture is breathtaking, featuring a lot of columns and fine details. Almost all of the buildings were made of marble or white stone. The art scene was incredible, and they were famous for their poems and plays. What the island is most known for though, is probably for their unique government. The island was first conquered by twelve devil fruit users and to this day, they are ruled by an oligarchy."

"Wait. Twelve devil fruit users came together to rule a country? What powers did they have? How did that work?" Selena questioned excitedly. She didn't want to get ahead of herself, but that sounded like the greek gods! Were Zeus and the other Olympians actually real historical figures in this world?

Hitoshi chuckled at his daughter's enthusiasm. She had an insatiable thirst for knowledge that he really loved. "Well, each of the twelve had their own responsibilities. The leader, Zeus, had final say on most things but they all worked together to run the country. Zeus is actually the person who made the rumble-rumble fruit infamous – because of him, it became known as the invincible devil fruit. It's a lightning logia fruit that is almost impossible to counter without haki."

That was something Selena remembered questioning while watching the anime. Robin had heard of the rumble-rumble fruit before ever encountering Enel, which meant that someone had made it famous.

"So Zeus was the strongest, but the others had devil fruits too?"

"Yes, all twelve had incredible powers. A lot of the history has been forgotten since this all happened before the void century, but we know that Zeus had two brothers. Hades, who was responsible for dealing out justice and punishment, had eaten the soul-soul fruit which allows the user to manipulate human souls," Hitoshi replied.

Selena didn't remember that fruit from the anime, but she remembered that around the time she died there had been a lot of speculation about Big Mom's devil fruit being able to do something like that. It sounded fucking terrifying.

"His other brother, Poseidon, was in charge of their navy," Hitoshi continued. "He was rumored to have a devil fruit that allowed him to manipulate water, which of course is unbelievable. People have scoured the world for hints of that devil fruit, since it seems like that would be the only one that wouldn't make its user vulnerable to seawater. It hasn't been seen since and a lot of people don't think it ever existed."

"Do we know any of the others' powers?" Selena asked, resting her head on her dad's chest.

"Well, their head of public relations and foreign policy, Aphrodite, had eaten the love-love fruit. It's a paramecia fruit that allows the user to turn anyone who feels attracted to them into stone. She has become known as a legendary politician and negotiator who could manipulate anyone into doing what was best for her country."

Selena chuckled. That was too perfect and totally badass. It was fitting for Boa Hancock's predecessor.

"For some of the others, we have hints about what their powers were but the actual names of their devil fruits have been lost. For example, their strategist Athena allegedly had a paramecia type fruit that was based on logic and allowed her to see all of the possible outcomes of every decision. Other people speculate that it was the human-human fruit, model: genius, but there is no way to know for sure until the devil fruit regenerates and is eaten once again. Their head of military, Ares, was rumored to have eaten a devil fruit that allowed him to manipulate the emotions of others. It doesn't sound that dangerous, but he used it to enrage their enemies. It clouded their judgment and made them act rashly, which made victory that much easier for the Olympians."

"So awesome!" Selena exclaimed. Hitoshi and Etsuko could practically see the stars in her eyes. "Was I named after a fierce Olympian historic figure?" she asked excitedly.

"No, angel," Etsuko replied smoothly. "We loved Olympian culture, and we wanted to honor it, but we still wanted your name to fit  _you_."

"Yeah, we decided to pick your name from an Olympian book of baby names so that your name could be representative of what you mean to us and who you would become," Hitoshi added.

"Oh, so what does my name mean then?"

"Selena means moon goddess," Etsuko replied with a gentle smile.

"You guys kind of have high hopes for me then, huh?" Selena replied flatly. "No pressure."

Hitoshi chuckled. "No, we're optimistic about your future but not delusional."

"We didn't want what happened to us to happen to you," Etsuko said. "Our names were chosen to match the personality we showed as newborns, which doesn't really represent who we are now."

"We picked out a few names that we both liked, since we weren't sure of your gender. You ended up being born on the first night of a full moon a little bit after midnight, so Selena seemed like the perfect name for you," Hitoshi said. He put down his empty mug so he could wrap both arms around his daughter and rest his chin on her head.

"So on clear nights like this when you can see the moon and the stars clearly, we always think of you," Etsuko said, leaning forward to plant a kiss on Selena's forehead.

"Our little moon goddess," Hitoshi added softly.

A warm feeling bloomed in Selena's chest. She felt so full of love for her parents and loved in return. It was times like these when she was so incredibly grateful that she got the chance to live again. She was so lucky to experience the unconditional love her parents had for her and she knew that no matter what happened in this lifetime, it would all be worth it because of moments like these.

She listened to her parents' voices for a while longer, before she drifted off to sleep filled with nothing but happiness.

* * *

The next three weeks passed in a similar fashion. Selena was overjoyed to spend so much time with her dad, and tried to make the most of their time together.

It was interesting to see her dad and Kingsley's relationship develop. At first Kingsley had been hesitant to join in on Hitoshi and Selena's training sessions, since he felt like he was intruding on their bonding time but Selena had insisted he join them. Over the years, Kingsley started to feel more and more comfortable around Hitoshi. He learned to take Hitoshi's relentless teasing in stride, and eventually began to see him as a male role model – Hitoshi became someone he could trust and confide in.

Selena was ecstatic that the two most important guys in her life were getting along. Their relationship grew over the years from an awkward mentor/student relationship to the uncle/nephew relationship they had now. Selena knew that Kingsley would never see Hitoshi as a father figure like she once hoped, since he had his grandfather to fill that role, but it warmed her heart to see that they treated each other like family. And to be fair to Kingsley, Hitoshi fit the goofy uncle role all too perfectly.

She was also relieved to see that her mom's health improved. Having Hitoshi to help around the house and at the restaurant really reduced Etsuko's stress and she was able to rest more. She also seemed to be revitalized just from having her family all together once again. Selena hoped that it wouldn't be a temporary fix. More than ever, she wished that her mom would join Hitoshi and her for their yearly trip to Cocoyashi.

As the time for their departure for their trip drew nearer, Selena grew more excited. She was nervous about leaving her mother alone, but she was also beyond psyched to see Nami and Nojiko again. She loved writing letters to them, but it just wasn't the same as seeing them in person.

The day before they were supposed to leave, Selena knocked on Kingsley's door.

Unluckily for her, Marcus answered.

"What do you want, brat?"

Selena attempted to be polite. She was supposed to respect her elders, right?

"Hello Marcus-san. Is Kingsley-kun home?" She hoped the honorifics would buy her some brownie points.

"Of course not. Unlike you, my grandson is a well-behaved child who knows it's his duty to help his aging grandfather. He is running some errands for me."

Selena took a deep breath to keep calm.

"Could you tell me where he went? Or when he will be back? I have to talk to him."

"No. Why should I answer to you? These young punks don't know anything about respect…" the rest of his speech dissolved into incomprehensible grumbles. He didn't mean any of it of course, he just liked to see how long it took before the little brat lost her temper.

He began to close the door in her face when she decided enough was enough.

"Listen here, you rotting prune!" she shouted.

Marcus had to school his face into a neutral expression and stop himself from chuckling. Selena-chan always had the most creative insults.

"I don't have time to put up with your grumpy attitude today! I'm leaving on a trip tomorrow and I really need to talk to Kingsley beforehand. Besides, you owe me! Don't you dare think I've forgotten about the fact that you sent a nefarious crew of Grand Line pirates to my bar to scare me!" she exclaimed.

"Pirates…?" Marcus questioned. "Oh, you mean the friendly young merchants I recommended your family's restaurant to? You have the wildest imagination, brat. You should be  _thanking_  me for helping you get more business."

"You really didn't know they were pirates?" she asked. "The fact that you sent them my way due to negligence and not petty revenge almost makes it worse," she mumbled under her breath.

"Fine, fine. If it gets you to stop shouting and off of my doorstep I might as well tell you where Kingsley is. He should be out in the back, weeding the garden. I'm actually surprised your yelling hasn't brought him here," he said smugly.

That bastard. He was making her jump through hoops when Kingsley was right there in the backyard. He really knew how to get under her skin. She hated to admit it, but he was worthy of being her nemesis.

"You win this time, Marcus-san," Selena conceded. She began walking away backwards and making her way around the house to the garden, while glaring back at Kingsley's grandfather and maintaining uncomfortable eye contact. "You win this time," she repeated gravely.

She heard him chuckle before closing the door.

Shaking off the loss, she skipped to the backyard. She spotted Kingsley amongst the orderly rows of vegetables. Like everything else in his house, the garden was perfectly neat and practical. The vegetables were organized into symmetrical rows, each one labeled with a small sign.

Kingsley seemed to be too focused on his chores to hear her, so she took the chance to hurl herself onto his back.

Kingsley fell forward onto his face with a loud "oomph." He tried to twist out of the way, only for Selena to follow his movements and pin him to the ground. He jabbed an elbow into her side making her recoil, and took the opportunity to flip her onto her back and shove her down into the grass. She responded by hooking her legs around his waist and used her momentum to get above him again, while she twisted him so he landed face first in the grass again.

She finished off their impromptu wrestling match by pulling him into a headlock and forcing him to tap out.

Laughing and covered in dirt, they sat up and caught their breath.

"So… did you come over here just for the surprise attack or was there another reason?" Kingsley finally huffed.

"Oh come on Kings, I've been trying to teach you the importance of  _constant vigilance_!" she exclaimed, like a pint-sized Mad-Eye Moody. "It's not my fault you let your guard down."

"Right, because I should be expecting to be attacked while pulling up crab grass," he retorted.

"You should always expect the unexpected," she responded, nodding sagely while stroking an imaginary goatee.

"That doesn't even make sense!" he snorted. His best friend was definitely a handful, but she always knew how to make him laugh.

Selena shot him a crooked grin.

"No, but seriously, I need to ask you a favor," she said.

"Anything," he responded readily.

She smiled. He didn't even know what she was going to ask and he was already offering to do whatever he could. She was lucky to have him in her life.

"You know I'm leaving tomorrow, right? I was hoping that while I was gone you could check up on my mom everyday. You don't need to help out at the restaurant or anything, I just want to make sure she has someone looking out for her when I'm not here."

"Of course! I don't mind. Your mom is really nice," he agreed. "Does she know you're asking me to do this?"

Selena sighed.

"No, she doesn't. If you can, don't make it obvious that you're checking in on her. If she finds out it doesn't really matter but she'll definitely tease me about being too responsible when I get back," she huffed.

"I think it's nice that you're worried about her."

"She probably will too, it's just that she's always poking fun at me because sometimes I act like her mom instead of it being the other way around."

Kingsley titled his head in thought. "I can't really picture your mom joking around like that. She's usually pretty serious."

Selena laughed. "She just comes off as serious since she's not very expressive, especially compared to my dad. She's actually pretty sarcastic and witty."

"Really? I'll try to keep an ear out for it while I look after her."

"Thank you so much for doing this for me, Kings. It means the world to me," she said ardently.

Kingsley fought back a blush. After five years of friendship he was getting used to Selena's constant praise and compliments; but honest gratitude plus an affectionate nickname was too much for him to handle at once. He felt his cheeks warm up and couldn't look at Selena directly in the eyes, knowing that he would find nothing but open fondness there.

"Don't mention it."

Selena noted the rosy tint on Kingsley's cheeks and his slight pout. She didn't understand how he was still so easy to embarrass, but she genuinely hoped her best friend never grew out of it. He was just too adorable. Deciding she had fought back the urge for long enough, she wrapped him up in a tight hug.

"Nah, I mean it," she responded, pulling him up to stand so she could give him a proper hug. He was still a lot taller than her, so she had to stand on her tiptoes so she could rest her head on his shoulder and wrap her arms around his middle.

Kingsley hugged her back tightly in lieu of giving her an answer.

"Alright, I better get back," she said. The dinner rush was about to start at the restaurant. "I'll see you in a week, okay? Love you!" she shouted back at him as she ran off.

"Love you too," Kingsley replied once he was sure she was too far to hear him, smiling softly.

* * *

Hitoshi and Selena left early the next morning, as was tradition, after kissing Etsuko goodbye. Etsuko was disappointed that her husband's time off was coming to an end, but she knew how much Selena looked forward to this trip every year. She couldn't bring herself to ask them to stay.

Nothing noteworthy happened during their voyage to Cocoyashi, besides a lot of quality father-daughter bonding. Selena treasured the time she got alone with Hitoshi, since it didn't happen that often. She regaled him with stories of her adventures with Kingsley and gave him summaries of the good books she had read since she last saw him. He told her more about his exploits on the Grand Line, which she couldn't tell if he was exaggerating or not, and about some of the new people now under his command.

She didn't know if it was because of the lack of technology in this world or because she was making more of an effort, but she knew her dad a lot better in this life than she did in her last. It made her kind of sad, especially since she knew more about Hitoshi after only eight years while she had gone decades in her past life without getting to know her father better. Don't get her wrong, she knew his basic personal history and they had spent a lot of time together even while she was in grad school, but she realized (after dying, of course) that there was so much she never asked and would never get the chance to.

On the morning of their third day of traveling, they finally reached their destination. Selena changed out of her pajamas and into a white t-shirt that said "Rebel" in pretty script, a pair of light wash denim shorts, and her new combat boots.

Her dad had already changed into another embarrassing outfit. She was pretty sure he was trying to mortify her on purpose, but there was always a chance that his fashion sense was  _just that bad._  He was sporting a royal purple and black striped bowling shirt (did they even have bowling in this world?) and a pair of khaki colored cargo pants that were covered in pockets. Who even needed that many pockets? She tried to count them all but lost track after twenty-seven. The royal purple part of his shirt clashed horribly with his hair, but to be fair, almost everything did. Nonetheless, she was pretty sure her dad didn't own any neutral colored tops besides the ones that were part of his marine uniform. The whole ensemble was topped off with the ugliest brown sandals she had ever seen.

Selena decided not to comment in case he was doing this to get a reaction out of her. It was probably best to just ignore the whole thing. She would just avoid looking at the direct atrocity against fashion that was her father.

While surveying the shore, Selena spotted a head of bright orange hair running back towards the village. Had Nami been waiting for them every morning? The thought warmed her heart.

She turned to her dad and said, "I think we're going to have a welcoming committee."

"Is that so?" he chuckled.

By the time they had docked, Nami had run back into view with Bellemère and Nojiko in tow. Selena grabbed her backpack, which looked like a giant teddy bear, and ran down the boardwalk to meet them. What? She could only get away with wearing such ridiculously cute things for a few more years and she was going to enjoy it while it lasted, dammit!

She ran at Nami and Nojiko at full speed, who after her last couple of visits had learned to just brace for impact and accept the consequences. Selena closed the last few feet of distance with a leap, and flung herself at Nami and Nojiko in a full body tackle. Thankfully, they were standing in the sand so it didn't hurt too badly when they hit the ground.

Nami and Nojiko groaned, while Selena smiled blissfully as she lay atop her two friends.

"I really missed you guys!" she said happily.

"We can tell," Nami and Nojiko deadpanned.

"Awww, come on kiddo! Why didn't I get tackled with a hug?" Bellemère asked.

Selena turned her head so she could look at Bellemère in the eye. "You're free to join us down here!" she responded cheerfully.

Nami's eyes widened in panic.

"No, Bel-!" Nojiko started.

"Don't mind if I do!" Bellemère responded brightly before flopping on top of the three girls.

Selena laughed as Nami and Nojiko wheezed exaggeratedly underneath her.

"I thought your tangerines were supposed to keep you thin, Bellemère!" Nami exclaimed.

"Did you just make a fat joke, you brat!?" Bellemère shouted.

Hitoshi finally caught up to them after making sure the boat was anchored properly. He couldn't help but let out a deep belly laugh at Bellemère's expense.

"Seems like you've really let yourself go after your retirement, Bellemère," he added before falling on top of the dog pile.

"Nooo! Please! Have mercy!" Nojiko groaned.

"Tou-chan!" Selena choked out. "Can't! Breathe!" She twitched her limbs for emphasis.

Hitoshi laughed before popping up to his feet and helping everybody up. "You've turned into such a drama queen, Selena-chan. I really don't know where you get it from."

"Really, Toshi-chan?  _Really?_ " Bellemère questioned while giving him some serious side-eye. Her marine buddy had always had a knack for dramatics.

"Nope! Not a clue!" Hitoshi replied unconvincingly.

"Dear father!" Selena exclaimed in a theatrical voice. She dropped to her knees and placed a dainty hand on her forehead like she was about to faint. "Why have you forsaken me?!"

"Yeah, I don't see a family resemblance at all," Bellemère deadpanned while Nami and Nojiko giggled at their friend's antics.

"Alright, alright," Hitoshi said, rolling his eyes. "Why don't we go drop this stuff off and I'll treat everyone to lunch to make up for my deceitful ways?"

"As long as you're paying!" Bellemère responded blithely.

They ate lunch in a homey little restaurant where the servers greeted Bellemère and the girls by name. Selena and the girls caught up on all of the more recent happenings that they hadn't talked about through their letters yet, while Bellemère and Hitoshi talked business. Selena loved that every time they saw each other in person, it was like no time had passed between them at all. She just  _clicked_  with Nami and Nojiko, and she could see that it was the same for her dad and Bellemère.

After they had eaten, Bellemère and Hitoshi headed back to the tangerine grove so she could show off the new irrigation system she had installed. Hitoshi didn't know anything about agriculture or sprinkler systems, but his friend was excited about it and he wanted to support her so he went along with it. Her enthusiasm was catching.

Nami, Nojiko, and Selena treated themselves to soft-serve ice cream for dessert. They visited all of their usual haunts in town, showing Selena what had changed since she last visited and introducing her to people she hadn't met yet.

Her visits to Cocoyashi were always idyllic. It was the only time each year where she truly let herself be a kid. Sure, she still trained everyday for a couple of hours, but it was nothing compared to her routine back home. She didn't have to worry about pushing herself to new levels; instead, she trained because it was cathartic and a nice way to bond with her dad. She didn't worry about gathering information that may be valuable for the future, or what she was going to do about the plot, or stress about working in the restaurant and making sure her mother wasn't straining herself.

She just acted like the eight year old she was.

She played dress up with Nami and Nojiko, using the meager amount of makeup Bellemère owned to give themselves facial hair or make themselves look like fairies (it required a lot of glitter).

She played "Explorer" with Nami, which involved them scouting the island so that Nami could survey the land and make an accurate map. They marked all the places they had been to with chalk drawings and pretended to be adventurers discovering a new land. Eventually they had tagged the whole island with their mark: a crescent moon hanging over rippling waves, representing both of their names. By the end of the day their clothes were covered in blue chalk dust and Nami had drawn her first rudimentary full map of Cocoyashi.

She visited the bookstore with Nojiko, where they were allowed to stay and read as long as they remained quiet. They came across a new book of fairytales, which they both secretly loved though they admitted were childish – like they weren't children themselves. This of course meant they had to act out all of the short stories and give all of the characters funny voices. They actually attracted an audience of little kids because of their exuberance, which only fueled their theatrics further. They were too loud and distracted the other customers, but the shopkeeper let them stay because she couldn't remember the last time her store was so full of children or happiness.

She shared every meal with her father, Bellemère, and the girls. Tangerines were always incorporated somehow. She ran barefoot through the grove while playing with Nami and Nojiko, relishing the feel of the grass under her feet. Every night she cuddled up with her father on the beat up old pullout couch, knowing just how to position herself so she avoided the old springs that were starting to poke through the fabric. She felt as at home in the cozy little one-room cabin as she did back on Valhalla.

The week passed by way too quickly.

As per tradition, they were camping out under the stars on the last night of her trip. They had learned from the previous years and brought out a bundle of blankets and pillows to the back of the cabin, not keen to wake up in the cold, dewy grass like they had the first couple of times. They laid everything out a little ways away from Nojiko's herb garden, which was thriving. Luckily, it was a clear night and it was easy enough to see using the light of the full moon.

As per  _their_  tradition, Bellemère and Hitoshi were out on the front porch drinking saké and smoking cigars. Their conversation wasn't audible from the backyard, but every once in a while their laughter would carry, joining the choir of chirping crickets. If they strained their ears, they would be able to hear the sound of the waves lapping against the cliff side.

Selena, Nojiko, and Nami were cuddling under a single quilt. Selena had squeezed herself in-between the two sisters, and they had readily latched onto her. Selena was resting her head on Nojiko's shoulder, while Nami was using Selena's stomach as her personal pillow. They were all curled up together, their legs all tangled up. Selena used one hand to stroke Nami's hair, and the other to trace a light swirling pattern on Nojiko's arm. They talked about everything and nothing, just enjoying the last of their time together.

Over the last couple of years Selena had recognized pieces of the Nami she knew from  _before_. Every once in a while, Nami would inadvertently alert Selena to her issues with money already beginning. Most of the time it would be inconspicuous enough, the kind of thing any kid would complain about. She talked about not being able to afford new toys or clothes, how some kids on the island got an allowance while she didn't, and how everything she owned used to be Nojiko's at one point.

That wasn't the only thing that reminded Selena of the character she had known. During her visit last year, she remembered goofing around outside with Nami and Nojiko when all of a sudden Nami stopped in her tracks and looked skyward. She had blinked twice slowly, then turned back to face them and said that they should all head inside since it was about to rain. The sky was completely clear, but Selena knew better than to doubt Nami's weather predicting skills. They had all rushed indoors and not even a full second later did a storm roll in and crack open the heavens. She had looked over to Nami incredulously while Nojiko had just rolled her eyes at her sister's smug little smirk.

Selena's chat with Kingsley about his dream had made her wonder if Nami had already decided that she was going to draw a map of the world. It seemed like her interest in navigation had already bloomed – Selena could even vaguely remember her mentioning in a letter that she had stolen an expensive book on navigation so she could teach herself how to do it. In conjunction with their game of Explorer, it would seem like she was already teaching herself the skills she would need in the future.

And what about Nojiko? She may not be a  _main_  character, but Selena cared for her just as much as she did for Nami. Did she have a goal in life? She was only ten, but all of the kids she knew of in this world were pretty self-assured and knew what they wanted.

Unable to hold back her curiosity, she asked them.

"Do you guys have a dream? Something you know you're  _meant_  to do?" Selena asked softly.

"I… I want to draw a map of the whole world!" Nami exclaimed.

"Really, Nami?" Nojiko asked. It was the first time she had heard her sister say this, and she couldn't help but smile at the sheer confidence in Nami's voice. Of course Nami would make such a bold declaration without a hint of doubt.

"Yeah," Nami responded. "I have been practicing making maps on my own for a while now. I wanted to wait until I made a really good one before telling you and Bellemère."

"Oh, sorry for blowing your cover," Selena apologized. "But that's an amazing dream, Nami. I'm sure you're going to do it one day."

"It's not a big deal. It wasn't a secret or anything – I just wanted the map I showed them to be perfect. I'll probably wait a bit before telling Bellemère though," Nami said, with a huge smile on her face. Even just talking about her dream made her feel giddy and excited. "One day, I'm going to be an amazing navigator and I'm going to be the first person to ever draw a map of the whole world!"

Nojiko smiled at her. "I'm sure you will," she said sincerely.

Nami beamed at the two girls next to her. She had been hesitant about voicing her dream out loud, not because she doubted herself, but because she was nervous  _they_  doubted her. Instead, they accepted her dream like it was a sure fact, like they  _knew_  that one day Nami would accomplish it. She felt a rush of affection towards them.

"What about you, Selena?" Nami asked.

"Me?" She couldn't suppress the confident grin that snuck its way onto her face. "I want to travel all of the oceans and visit new islands. I want to learn about new cultures and meet people who live differently than me. I want to go on unbelievable adventures that you would normally only read about in fiction books. You know how my dad is always telling me about the amazing stuff he's seen on the Grand Line? Basically, I want to see those things for myself. I want explore every inch of this incredible world and experience everything it has to offer!" she declared resolutely.

Nojiko giggled at her friend's enthusiasm. "That sounds amazing, Selena."

"Yeah!" Nami agreed. "Maybe one day we could sail together and you could explore the islands we visit while I draw maps!" she added eagerly.

Selena smiled wistfully. "Yeah… maybe." She knew for sure that one day Nami was going to go on fantastic adventures with the rest of the Strawhats and that she would be going her own way. She hoped her journey would be even a fraction as cool as theirs was fated to be.

"What about you, Nojiko?" Selena asked quickly, hoping that neither of the other two girls had noticed her somber tone.

"Well… mine isn't as exciting as what you two are planning on doing," Nojiko responded.

"That doesn't matter!" Nami countered.

"Yeah," Selena added. "If it's your dream then that means it's important to you, which means it's important to us."

Nojiko was touched by the two younger girls' words of support.

"I think that in the future I want to take over Bellemère's tangerine grove," she admitted. "I don't know if I want to get married or anything like that but I would also want to adopt one day, so I could help out a kid the same way Bellemère did for us," she finished, gesturing to herself and Nami.

"That's a beautiful dream, Nojiko," Selena responded softly.

"You really think so?" Nojiko asked, sounding uncharacteristically unsure.

"I really do," Selena reassured her. "I'm sure Bellemère would think so too."

Nami thought over what she wanted to say carefully before speaking up. She wanted to be supportive, especially after seeing how accepting Nojiko was of her dream, but she didn't understand where Nojiko was coming from.

"Do you really want to stay in Cocoyashi?" she asked hesitantly. "What made you feel this way?"

Nojiko hummed in thought. She shifted her free arm so that she could hold onto Nami's hand.

"You probably don't remember since you were really little, and I barely remember it, but on the day Bellemère found us I was so scared. I remember it had been really loud for a few days, then everything settled into an eerie silence. I had been hiding, waiting for the noises of the battle to stop, and when I came out I saw that everything had been reduced to rubble. My memories are pretty vague, but I do remember the people – trapped under the buildings, or buried under debris – and they were all so still and quiet."

Nami sucked in a gasp of air. She had never asked about the day they were rescued. Bellemère had always just told them that she had found them and after looking into their eyes she had decided she was taking them home with her.

"I wandered around for a bit, looking for anyone that had survived. Eventually I heard a baby crying, and I ran towards the sound," Nojiko continued. "As soon as I picked you up, you stopped crying. I tried to be brave for you, but I was scared because we were all alone. Not long after that, Bellemère found us. She was injured, but even though she was hurt really badly she was more worried about us than herself. That's how I knew we could trust her."

Nojiko smiled and closed her eyes.

"I remember how safe I felt when she first held me in her arms. Even though we were surrounded by death and destruction, I knew she wouldn't let anything bad happen to us. And then you laughed."

"I laughed?" Nami parroted incredulously.

Selena smiled. She could picture the scene: Bellemère bloody and bruised holding onto Nojiko, who in turn was carrying Nami. The remains of that town crumbling around them, the deathly silence suffocating them, when all of a sudden Nami laughs. She was torn, because while she felt like she was intruding on a private moment, she was also pleased they felt comfortable enough around her to talk like this.

"You laughed," Nojiko responded. "I think that's the moment we became a family. Bellemère looked at you, and then back at me, and we couldn't help but be happy that you weren't affected by all the horrible stuff going on around you. I think that's when she decided to take us home with her."

"Do you ever wonder what happened to our real families?" Nami asked quietly, barely above a whisper.

Nojiko shifted so she could look at Nami in the eyes. "No, not really. There's no point. Bellemère triple checked – we were the only survivors. You don't remember that day, but I do. Everything was just  _gone_. There's no way someone else made it out of there alive," she stated. "Besides, we  _are_  your real family," she finished off defensively.

"Do you-" Nami started, before inhaling deeply through her nose and starting again. "Do you really think so?"

Her voice was hushed, ashamed of what she was about to say.

"Sometimes I feel like Bellemère just got stuck with us. That she would be happier if she had never found us – found me. She had to quit the marines and she never has any money because she's always spending it on us. Sometimes I bet she regrets ever keeping us," she choked out, trying to hold back a sob.

Selena tried to convey her feelings of sympathy through a hug. She used her hold on Nami to switch places with her, so that Nami was sandwiched in-between Nojiko and her. She began rubbing slow circles into Nami's back, letting Nojiko do all the talking.

"No, no, no, no, no," Nojiko shushed her, pulling her in close to her chest. "It wasn't something she did without thinking. Bellemère fought to keep us. When she got back to Cocoyashi with us, all of the villagers tried to convince her to give us up. They told her she was too irresponsible to raise two kids, that she wouldn't be able to handle us, but she ignored all of them. She  _knew_  she was supposed to be our mother."

"But it's not the same! She's not our  _real_ mom. We're not even related!" Nami sobbed shamefully.

Nojiko felt frustrated. How could Nami not understand? Bellemère loved them,  _gave up everything for them_. She wouldn't have done that if she thought she would regret it for a second.

Selena had seen this a few times  _before_. She had worked with a few adopted kids during her internship working under a school psychologist, and she saw all of the same things those children were feeling in Nami. She definitely had abandonment issues, which Selena guessed were rooted in the fact that Nojiko had found Nami alone. Nami had no idea what happened to her first family – had they left her behind to save themselves?

She could also see that Nami felt really guilty for all of the hardship Bellemère went through in order to take care of them, especially the financial issues. She could see how in the story she had ended up lashing out at Bellemère before her death, since these emotions have obviously been building up in a while. She guessed that Nami repressed these feelings in the original timeline, maybe because the opportunity to talk about it never came up. Bellemère was a great mother, but she wasn't really the type to sit down and have emotional heart to hearts with her kids.

Nami put up a tough front, and she was definitely strong-willed, but she was still just an eight-year-old kid. She needed to be reassured that she really was wanted.

Most of all, Selena could see just how  _badly_  Nami wanted to belong. She wanted to accept Nojiko and Bellemère as her family, but she wanted them to choose her out of love and not some sense of obligation. In the story, Nami hadn't gotten that moment until Bellemère laid down her life for them. Selena saw no reason to force Nami to wait that long. It might not be her place – hell, she  _knew_  it wasn't her place – but she had kept quiet for long enough. She wasn't going to let her friend suffer if she could do something about it.

"Look, I'm probably not the one who should be saying this to you-" Selena started. "And this is definitely something you should talk to Bellemère about, but just because you guys aren't related by blood doesn't mean you aren't family. Bellemère may not be your birthmother, but she has raised you since you were a baby," Selena said, trying to put as much emotion into her voice as she could.

She desperately wanted Nami to understand that just because her familial ties were forged and not pre-packaged, it didn't make them any less special.

"She has sacrificed a lot for you, in order to make sure you and Nojiko grow up healthy and happy. If anything, she has done more for you than most parents because she  _chose you._ She could have left you with the marines, let the World Government decide what to do with you, or left you with the Cocoyashi villagers. Instead she went against the people she grew up with, the people she has known her whole life, in order to keep you. She wasn't 'just stuck with you,' she fought with everything she had for you."

Nami twisted back so she could look at Selena's face.

" _She chose you,_ " Selena finished, her words ringing with sincerity.

Nami searched her face for any hint of doubt, any sign that Selena was just telling her what she wanted to hear. Not finding any, she turned back to Nojiko, with a silent plea in her eyes for some sort of confirmation of Selena's words.

"It's true," Nojiko said easily. "The villagers begged her to give us up to the marines. They thought she was too young, too irresponsible, and too reckless to take care of us. They meant well, but Bellemère felt like it was fate that brought her to us. It would have been so easy for her to give up, but she didn't. Because  _she's our mom_."

Nami swallowed thickly, tears still running down her face but no longer full-on sobbing. "I guess I never thought of it that way…"

"Trust me," Nojiko reassured her emphatically. "Besides, does Bellemère seem like the type of person who would do something if she didn't really want to? You've lived with her long enough to know her better than that," she teased.

Nami giggled a bit at that, although it still seemed kind of strained. She took a few calming breaths, taking a second to revel in the comfort of being smushed in between two people who really cared about her.

She did feel a lot better, like a weight had been lifted off of her. She guessed that she had been carrying that burden with her for a while. It had never been a conscious thing, it was a just a feeling of guilt and abandonment that had chipped away at her over time. She still felt like she needed to talk about it with Bellemère, but everything Selena and Nojiko had said made sense.

There was just one more thing eating away at her peace of mind.

"But…" she started, before cutting herself off. Her tears were finally starting to dry up, and she didn't want to get emotional again.

"No, finish what you were about to say," Nojiko said gently. "It's better if it's all just out in the open."

Nami sighed. "It's just… what you said makes sense, but… what about you?"

Nojiko scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion. "What about me?"

"Well," Nami started slowly, focusing on the feel of Selena's small hand rubbing soothing circles in-between her shoulder blades. "Bellemère chose us; she legally adopted us. But you never got a say. We were just both adopted by the same person. You never got the chance to choose your sister."

Nojiko was about to cut in to refute what Nami was saying, but Selena had a better idea. Without taking much time to think it over, she just blurted it out.

"Why don't you guys choose each other now?"

"What do you mean?" Nojiko asked curiously. Nami was already her sister, no matter what anyone said, but if there was some way to reassure her then she would do it in a heartbeat.

"Well…" Selena started with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Did you know that if you exchange saké cups you can become brothers? I'm sure it works for sisters too," she added impishly.

"Where did you hear that?" Nami asked dubiously.

"I heard a pirate say it," Selena replied smoothly.  _Technically_  Ace was a pirate… will be a pirate? She wasn't sure if she was lying or not but she didn't feel guilty about it at all.

"Actually, I've heard that too," Nojiko added eagerly.

Nami looked back and forth between them before breaking out into a huge grin. "Let's do it!" she cheered before flinging the quilt off of them and dashing towards the house.

She scrubbed her face quickly, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying. Hopefully it would be too dark for Bellemère and Hitoshi to see her properly, or if she was really lucky they would be drunk already.

She ran past them and into the house, not giving them a chance to question her. Once inside, she grabbed a pillow and a pillowcase. She checked under the sink for Bellemère's emergency saké stash, and almost cheered out loud when she found one hidden behind the cleaning products. She grabbed the ceramic sake cups and the bottle, wrapped them in a dishtowel so they wouldn't clink together, and stuffed them in the pillowcase behind the pillow. She hugged the bundle close to her body.

She jogged back outside a little slower, being careful not to break anything. She shouted a quick "just needed an extra pillow!" as she passed the adults, not giving them a chance to respond.

She ran back to the other two girls, who had straightened out the blanket and were now sitting on top of it.

With a triumphant grin, Nami showed off the stolen contraband. "Got it! It wasn't even hard!" she couldn't help but brag.

Nojiko rolled her eyes while Selena just chuckled at the little thief.

Nami set the bottle down, shooting a quizzical glance at Selena. For some reason, she had scooted back from her when Nami joined them on the blanket.

Selena did her best to remain inconspicuous. She felt kind of awkward for being present for what she knew was going to be a special moment for Nami and Nojiko. She was considering leaving to join the adults for a bit so that the girls could have some privacy, when she noticed that Nami had stolen  _three_  saké cups. She couldn't stop the bewildered look that came across her face.

Nami huffed in amusement at her friend's confusion. After a quick look towards Nojiko to make sure she agreed, she carefully set one of the saké cups in front of Selena.

Nami looked at her directly in the eyes before saying, "If what you said is true and we actually have the power to choose who we want to be in our family, then we choose you."

Selena's eyes widened in response. She turned to Nojiko to see if she felt the same way.

Nojiko smiled softly back at her. "Over the last three years I've come to see you like another little sister. One that gets into less trouble than my first one-"

"Hey!" Nami interjected.

"-but not by much," Nojiko finished.

"And I've always wanted a little sister that hangs off of my every word and that I could boss around," Nami added helpfully.

Selena huffed out a wet laugh, blinking back the tears from her eyes. Nami sure knew how to ruin an emotional moment.

"I feel the same way about you guys," Selena said. "I would be honored to call you my sisters," she added seriously.

Seeing Nami and Nojiko beaming back at her, she couldn't help but get a good feeling about this.

The three of them sat down in a circle, with the three cups and the saké bottle in the middle. They poured the saké out for each other, as it was done traditionally, then passed on their cup. This way, they each ended up drinking a cup of saké that was poured out by one sister and given to them by the other.

Holding her cup up high under the light of the full moon, Nojiko began the vow that all three of them would remember for the rest of their lives.

"Starting tonight, the three of us will be linked together with a bond that could never be broken," she began. "We'll protect each other-"

"And support each other-" Nami added.

"And be there for each other, no matter what," Selena finished.

"From this day forward, we will always be…" Nojiko said, pausing to look at Nami and Selena before all three of them finished the vow in unison.

" _Sisters!_ "

They clinked their cups together and knocked back the shot of saké. Selena smiled as the alcohol burned down her throat pleasantly, before turning concernedly at the choking sounds her new sisters were making.

Nami was clutching her neck and gagging while Nojiko put on a brave face, completely disregarding the tears that were running down her cheeks freely.

Selena laughed loudly and completely carefree. She threw herself at the other two girls, wrapping them up in a group hug.

She felt so lucky to be able to call these two incredible people her sisters.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we finally see some of the changes from the original plot. Nothing crazy so far, and mostly just in Garp. Basically, I figured that Garp hadn't been around any children in the original story. Seeing the way Selena was growing up, and how her parents acted, has given Garp new insight in how he should be treating his grandsons. He is also visiting way more often than in the original story (in which I estimated he only visited once every couple of years).
> 
> He's also going to be hanging around the East Blue for a while, since he doesn't know what's going on with the marines there. I always wondered how the Red Haired pirates chilled out there for a year without anyone reporting them.
> 
> As for the last scene - that's actually where the idea for this fic originated from! I absolutely adore the ASL brothers, and felt an urge to write about a sort of female sisterhood counterpart. Hopefully I did a good job of explaining their motivations! Let me know your thoughts!
> 
> Last edited 6/2/18.


	5. Hero to Zero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually went back and edited the first four chapters and I think they're much easier to read now and flow better. Nothing was really added plot-wise, so you don't have to re-read them if you don't want to. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

  _Ten years before Romance Dawn_

* * *

As the afternoon sun beamed down over Dawn Island, a lone bear attempted to catch her lunch from a small stream. She brought down her paws repeatedly, catching fish after fish to feed her large appetite. Little did she know that as she ripped into her catch with her sharp teeth, three predators were contemplating the best way to turn _her_ into _their_ lunch.

With a leap and a loud battle cry, the smallest of the hunters rushed into battle. He wound up his fist, _literally_ , andcoa let it fly.

"Gum-gum pistol!" Luffy shouted.

Now alerted to the presence of the three humans, the bear fell back onto all fours, causing Luffy's shot to miss. Instead of hitting the bear's face, which was what he had been aiming for, his fist flew over her head and onto an overhanging branch. Grabbing it out of instinct, Luffy was ricocheted forward by his own momentum and thrown into the air…

Only to land in the stream. Now completely powerless, all he could do was sink and let the flow of the water drag him under.

"LUFFY!" Ace and Sabo shouted in unison. They had been arguing in heated whispers over the best way to take down the bear, when they realized Luffy had rushed ahead in their moment of inattention. Ace cursed under his breath and charged at the bear, while Sabo ran forward to pull a drowning Luffy out of the (thankfully) slow-moving stream.

Ace pulled out the pipe strapped to his back as he surged towards the bear. Him and Sabo split ways as they approached their targets, causing the bear to divide its attention between them. Sabo sidestepped the bear and raced towards Luffy, giving the bear an opening to attack when he turned away.

But Sabo trusted his brother to always have his back.

Ace intercepted the bear's paw with a swing of his pipe and a sharp _clang_. He scoffed to himself. He would never let a measly bear hurt one of his precious brothers.

He twirled the pipe behind his back, then hit the bear in gut, ribs, and snout in quick succession. He then ran past the bear to a sturdy tree behind her. Not slowing down at all, he took two steps up the trunk, pushed off in a backflip, and landed an axe kick right on the bear's skull.

The bear went down with a pained roar and a heavy thud. After making sure that the bear was truly unconscious, he turned back to check on Sabo and Luffy.

After dragging Luffy out of the stream, Sabo pounded on Luffy's chest in an amateur attempt at CPR. He swung his fists down with all of his strength, grateful that Luffy's devil fruit powers made him invulnerable to blunt force trauma, and tried to push all of the water out of Luffy's rubbery lungs. Once that no longer produced any results, he proceeded to wring his little brother out like a mop.

Sabo and Ace watched Luffy's lifeless body for one _terrifying_ second, after which he turned to his side and coughed up another pint of water.

"Shishishi," he laughed weakly. "I thought I was gonna die!"

" _Idiot!_ " Ace shouted as he smacked Luffy upside the head. "What were you thinking!?"

"You can't scare us like that, Luffy," Sabo said, squeezing Luffy in a hug that would have been painful for anyone else.

"Sorry, sorry!" Luffy replied. "I was just so hungryyy!" he whined.

"Don't think you're getting off that easy!" Ace reprimanded, before starting on a rant where he berated Luffy for his recklessness and stupidity.

Not that Luffy was listening to any of it.

As Ace went off on how dumb devil fruit powers were and how Luffy was too much of a baby to go off on his own, Luffy watched as Sabo began prepping the bear for lunch.

He was so lucky to have his big brothers to look out for him.

He had spent so much time alone in Foosha, but at least he had Makino back then. When Gramps had dropped him off at Dadan's he had felt more alone than ever. He was in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by mountain bandits, away from everyone he had ever known. He quickly realized that Ace was the only person he wanted to be around, so Luffy made it his mission to befriend him.

Unlike the kids at Foosha, Ace wasn't scared of him. Sure, Ace had tried to kill him the day after they met, but at least Ace wasn't afraid of what he could do.

After weeks of trailing after Ace, Luffy was finally able to follow him to the Grey Terminal. There, he had met Sabo. It had taken a few hours of agonizing torture at Porchemy's hand to gain their trust, but it had definitely been worth it.

Now he never had to worry about being alone.

He, Sabo, and Ace did everything together. They taught him how to hunt, helped him train his devil fruit powers, and most importantly, they taught him how to dine-n-dash.

After he and Ace found out that Sabo's dad was a mean noble who didn't deserve him, they became even closer than ever. They shared their dreams with each other and became brothers.

Even if they eventually split up to follow their own dreams, Luffy didn't think he would ever feel as lonely as he once did. He could never truly be alone because he knew that no matter where they were, his brothers would be looking out for him and rooting for him.

Luffy lost his train of thought when the smell of roasting meat wafted over to him.

"Sabo! Is it done yet?!" he shouted, interrupting Ace's tirade.

"Were you even listening?!" Ace fumed.

"Shishishi, nope!"

Sabo could only chuckle as he watched Ace pound Luffy into the ground.

* * *

When Bellemère found the girls on the morning of Selena and Hitoshi's planned departure, passed out with a bottle of saké nearby, she had panicked and thought the worst. She called Hitoshi over and they began to violently shake their daughters awake, only to be met by three disgruntled stares.

"What's wrong, tou-chan? Where's the fire?" Selena grumbled sleepily as she rubbed her eyes.

Hitoshi walked over and picked up the saké bottle, which he then realized was almost full. He tossed it over to Bellemère, a little embarrassed by their overreaction.

"Want to explain what this is about, twerps?" Bellemère demanded. She recognized the bottle from her secret stash. She wasn't as upset as Hitoshi, but was confused as to why the girls had done this. They were a little too young to start their rebellious phase… she hoped.

Unsurprisingly, Nojiko spoke up first. It was her job as the eldest to take responsibility. Plus, she didn't feel an ounce of remorse over what they had done last night.

"Sorry that we borrowed it without asking, Bellemère. But we needed to exchange saké cups to complete our oath," she stated like it was the most logical thing in the world.

"What oath?" Hitoshi questioned, now more confused than before.

"A pirate's oath!" Nami chimed in excitedly. "Like Whitebeard does! We exchanged saké cups and became sworn sisters!"

Selena smiled at her sisters and threw an arm around each one. Even if they were punished for it, she couldn't regret making those vows.

Bellemère stared at them for a full three seconds before busting into a bout of laughter. Hitoshi jumped at the sound before running his hand down his face in exasperation, which did nothing to hide his smile.

"The daughters of two marines becoming sisters through a pirate tradition. Now I've seen it all," Bellemère chuckled as they all headed inside.

Leaving Cocoyashi was harder than ever before. Selena dragged her feet and postponed their departure for as long as she could, but she knew that she had to get back to her mother and Kingsley.

Bellemère and the girls walked them down to the docks like always, wanting to delay their goodbyes for as long as possible. Once they had reached their ship, Hitoshi scooped up Nami and Nojiko in a bear hug as Selena bid Bellemère goodbye.

"Promise that you'll look after your mother," Bellemère said quietly. "One of the reasons Toshi-chan is able to leave for months without dying of worry is because you two can take care of each other."

"I know," Selena responded.

"I know it's not fair to ask it of you, but I'm asking it anyways."

"I don't mind the responsibility," she replied. "I would be doing it even if you hadn't asked. But in return, you have to promise to take good care of my sisters," she added with an impish smile.

"I guess that's fair," Bellemère responded with a faux-exasperated sigh. "I'm going to miss you, brat."

"Me too," Selena responded while letting Bellemère wrap her up in one last cigarette and tangerine scented hug.

Hitoshi walked over to Bellemère and began squeezing the life out of her as Selena braced herself for saying goodbye to Nami and Nojiko.

"We're going to be expecting your next letter as soon as possible," Nojiko demanded.

"And make it a long one!" Nami added.

"I'll see what I can do," Selena said with a watery smile. She pulled the girls to her for a group hug, allowing herself to be suffocated in between them. "Why does it feel different this time?" she asked.

"I don't know why but it really does," Nami replied, obviously holding back tears.

"It's because we're not just saying goodbye to our friend this time. We're not going to see our _sister_ for a whole year," Nojiko explained. "It's just different."

"Love you," Selena said at last.

"Love you too," Nami and Nojiko responded.

Hitoshi let go of Bellemère with one last pat on the back.

"Take care of yourself out there, Toshi-chan," Bellemère said.

"I always do," Hitoshi replied with a roguish smile.

Hitoshi and Selena sailed away in a somber mood, which slowly dissipated over their two-day trip back to Valhalla. During the days, Selena extracted as much training as she could from her dad. They sparred as much as they could with the limited space they had on the ship, always ending in Selena's sound defeat. Although it was both exhausting and a bit of an embarrassing experience, she felt like she improved more in those two days of training than she would have over weeks of training alone.

During the nights, her dad told her the stories of the constellations. Many of the legends he learned during his time in Olympus, although he also picked up stories from various crew members and from his time in the marines. Every Blue had their own versions of how the constellations came to be, and Hitoshi had a knack for remembering them all.

Before bed, they anchored the ship and laid out a quilt on the deck. Lying on their backs, Hitoshi would point out which stars were useful for navigation, their histories, and the myths of their creation.

Selena cuddled up next to her dad on both nights, and easily drifted off to sleep to the sound of her father's soothing voice.

When they reached Valhalla, they docked and unloaded quickly. Each carrying a crate of Bellemère's tangerines, they practically sprinted back to Mama's Place, eager to see Etsuko.

"Kaa-chan!" Selena shouted as she ran into her mother's open arms.

Selena greeted her mother quickly, only holding onto her long enough for a peck on the cheek. She tried to make her way out of the room subtly, so that her parents could have some time alone before Hitoshi had to head back to Loguetown and his men. She turned back when she reached the front doors so that she could tell them she was going to find Kingsley, when she realized that her parents were already making out and probably wouldn’t even notice her absence.

Chuckling under her breath, Selena headed towards their usual training spot. She really admired her parent's relationship. They had been together for over ten years, but were still hopelessly in love with each other. It was easy to see from the way Etsuko doted on Hitoshi whenever he was home, how she went out of her way to prepare his favorite meals, and how her whole demeanor changed when he was around. She just seemedhappier and carefree when he was with her.

And it wasn't one-sided. Hitoshi was completely enamored with his wife. He always brought back little gifts from his trips to the Grand Line, constantly surprised her with small forms of affection throughout the day, and he looked at her like she was a goddess made mortal. He was always saying how lucky he was to be with her. Selena hoped that some day she would be able to find a guy who got the same dopey look on his face for her as Hitoshi did whenever Etsuko walked in the room.

She was still smiling to herself when she reached the clearing. It was already noon and the sunlight was streaming in through the canopy, dappling the clearing with spots of sunlight and shade that moved with the leaves in the summer breeze. She spotted Kingsley over by the creek, refilling his canteen. They had once taken the time to follow the creek upstream to the source and found that it was fed by an underground spring. Ever since then, they had drunk straight from the stream without boiling the water first. They had never gotten sick, so they figured it was safe enough.

Kingsley seemed to be lost in thought, but since she hadn't bothered to hide her footsteps he quickly snapped out of it and bounded over to her. He surprised her by initiating the hug, although she was pleased he was getting comfortable enough to do so with her.

"Missed you too, Kings," she said, voice a little muffled since her face was being smushed against his chest.

Kingsley let out a sheepish chuckle, before holding Selena out at arms length and surreptitiously checking her over for injuries. Not that he was as subtle as he thought he was, since all of Selena's attention was focused on him. Once he was satisfied that she wasn't hiding a life-threatening wound, which he honestly wouldn't put past her, he spoke.

"You seem different."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when you come back from Cocoyashi every year you usually seem… I don't know? More relaxed than usual, I guess. But something big happened this time, I can feel it."

Selena pondered over his words as she walked over to the large tree trunk that held their cubbyhole.

"You're right," she said, throwing a smile back at him over her shoulder. "But I think the only reason you can tell is because you know me so well."

"Well, go on! I wanna know everything!" he said excitedly.

Selena started searching for her canteen slowly, trying to buy some time. She wanted to make sure to phrase things the right way. When she moved over a set of Kingsley's neatly folded training clothes, she was stopped by a soft keening noise. Peering closer, she realized that in the corner of the hollowed out space there were a trio of baby owls. One of them had been startled awake by her rustling, but was now drifting back to sleep. What she had thought to be a balled up towel was actually a makeshift nest.

The owls weren't exactly newborns, but they looked too young to fly. She guessed that something had happened to their mother, and that when Kingsley found them he decided to take care of them himself. He must have forgotten they were there in the excitement of her news.

She smiled softly as the small brown owl shuffled closer to its siblings in its sleep. It was just like Kingsley to do something like this. He put up a tough front, but he really was a sweet, sensitive boy. Which was why she was worried about telling him about her new sisters.

She hoped he wouldn't feel slighted. She didn't want him to feel that just because she now had two new sisters that she valued their relationship less. Yes, they were her sworn sisters, but he was her _hermano de crianza_.

It was a term used in some latino cultures to describe children who were raised together, even if they weren't direct blood siblings. In many families, children were raised by their grandparents or godparents along with their cousins and god-siblings. Since they spent so much time together and basically grew up together, these kids considered themselves siblings. It also could be used for extremely close childhood friends or neighbors.

Sometimes Selena grew frustrated with her inability to translate a phrase or expression directly into another one of the languages she spoke. It was bad enough when she was bilingual, but now that she had three languages to choose from it was even worse. But she was getting off track.

Her relationship with Kingsley was different than her relationship with her sisters. Not better or worse, just different. She had known Kingsley for longer and he definitely knew her better than Nami and Nojiko, but over time she knew that wouldn't really matter as much. The dynamics between all of them were just too different to compare.

For a while, she was very dependent on Kingsley. She had been a toddler when they met, and was very limited by her body. She would be forever grateful for all of the times he had taken care of her and gotten her out of trouble. After she started training and was able to be more independent, Kingsley became her sparring partner. The roles were reversed, since she was the one who was teaching him how to fight at the beginning. Soon enough, they began developing their own styles and helping each other grow stronger – as equals. Sure, Selena was definitely further along in her training since she dedicated more time to it, but Kingsley had the advantage of his larger size and weight to help him hold his own against her.

She saw Kingsley almost everyday, and knew everything about him. Hell, she even knew almost everything about Marcus, which meant she could pinpoint from where Kingsley was drawing most of his behavioral quirks. They had also clicked immediately, in the way small children tend to do. There wasn't ever a big ceremony or any type of event to celebrate what they were to each other; they had just fallen into their roles naturally.

Nami and Nojiko had been her friends first.

Whenever she went to see them it was like a vacation. She got to abandon her daily responsibilities and just be a kid. Whenever she went to Cocoyashi it was like a break from reality. Her and Nami were the same age, and had a lot of the same interests. Even though Nojiko was a little older, she never treated Selena as lesser than her. Sure, a lot of the time Nojiko was the one reigning in her two younger sisters, but she was also there right alongside them when they caused some mischief.

Although their sisterhood was a new development in their relationship, Selena already knew that it drastically changed how she viewed Nami and Nojiko. Laying it all out there and making those lifetime promises solidified their bonds to each other. It turned vague assurances into a concrete oath, something she could look back on and use to reassure herself about what they meant to each other.

But it didn't change the fact that Nami and Nojiko were also adoptive sisters. Like Selena and Kingsley, they saw each other everyday. Unlike her and Kings, they also lived together and were being raised by the same person. And although they remained in almost constant communication with Selena via their letters, her sisters still lived on a different island days away from her.

Selena was so busy mulling everything over that she zoned out. Kingsley had been patient with her, but enough was enough. He was starting to get worried.

"Selena, snap out of it!" he finally exclaimed as he shook her by the shoulders.

"Sorry, Kings. I was just trying to figure out the best way to tell you what happened," she said as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck.

"Look, it's just me. I don't know what you're nervous about, but just give it to me straight."

So she did.

They sat down in the shade of their hidey-hole tree and she told him all about the trip like she usually did, not skimping on any details. She told him all about her week, what she saw, and what they all did together. When she got to the events of her last night in Cocoyashi, she glossed over the conversation that led up to the oath since it felt too personal. Once she finished recounting everything, she just sat there nervously picking her nails, not meeting his eyes.

"What, did you think I would be jealous?" he asked with a snort.

Selena's head shot up, relieved to see the teasing smirk on his face.

"You're not upset?"

"Nah," he responded casually, leaning back so that his weight was resting on his hands. "I'm happy for you. I like that you have more family somewhere out there and that you have more people to look after you now. God knows it's a fulltime job."

Selena was surprised, and maybe just a tad disbelieving, about how mature he was being. Kingsley picked up on that.

"Your relationship with them doesn't change anything between _us_. You know I have a hard time expressing my feelings, but I'm going to try," he continued resolutely. "I care about you, and I know you care about me-"

"I love you," Selena corrected. Kingsley couldn't help but smile and blush at that.

"R-right," he agreed, taking a deep breath before going on. "You're my sister. You have been ever since I found you crying in that ditch and you started following me around like a lost puppy."

"Hey! You were the one following me like an overprotective mama bear, if I remember right."

"Details, details," he responded cheekily. "But we don't need dramatic pirate oaths or a blood pact under the full moon to become siblings. I actually _like_ that about us. It's like this-" he gestured between them, "was what it was always supposed to be like. You're my sister. It's that simple," he finished with a shrug.

"That simple, huh? I like that," Selena responded. She then shuffled closer and threw her arms around him, as he hummed contentedly. She rested her head on his shoulder and he then rested his head on hers.

They stayed like that for a bit, enjoying the companionable silence.

"Is the blood pact completely off the table?" Selena joked, totally ruining the peaceful moment. "Because, you know, that sounded kind of cool-"

Kingsley let out a well-natured groan, and then pushed Selena off of him and into the grass without warning.

Selena giggled as she spit out a mouthful of grass, rolling over onto her feet and grabbing her canteen.

"How did you spend the last week? Did you get a chance to check on my mom?" she asked as she squatted down by the creek.

"I kept up with my training and helped out Grandpa Marcus like always. I visited your mom everyday, like I promised, but she knew what I was up to right away," he finished sheepishly.

"I knew that would happen," Selena responded with a sigh. "She's definitely going to tease me about it later. Did she at least seem healthy?"

"Yeah, I didn't notice her coughing or anything, but I also didn't spend that much time with her since I didn't want to distract her from her work. She seemed sad that she was alone and the bar got crazy busy since you weren't there to help out, so she was definitely overworked, but I don't think it was anything that she couldn't handle."

"That's good to hear, I guess," she responded. She then drank some water to wash down the unpleasant grassy taste that had lingered in her mouth. As she tilted her head back to drain the canteen, she looked up to the sky, only to realize from the position of the sun that she had been talking to Kingsley for at least an hour.

"Tou-chan is probably going to leave soon. Do you want to come with me to see him off?" she asked as she stood and stretched.

"Sure," he agreed easily. "I still have a lot of stuff to catch you up on and we can talk on the way back."

They slowly made their way through the forest and back to town. Kingsley used this time to fill Selena in on how he inadvertently became a foster dad to the three baby owls, and on all of the gossip he had picked up at the docks and the marketplace during the week. Selena filed it all away for possible later use, although she made a mental note to check in on Bruce after hearing that Ava had packed up a ship and had fled the island with a substantial amount of his money.

They also made a small detour so she could place an order for fifty casks of the vineyard's signature white wine, Asgardian Gold. Apparently, it had won first place in a competition that had invited all of the best wineries and distilleries in the East Blue to send in their finest products. The judges had all been world-acclaimed experts, so she expected that Asgardian Gold was about to have a jump in popularity and demand. She hoped that the vineyard would be able to keep up with the orders that were sure to flood in, especially since it would be great for the economy of the island, but she wanted to keep some in stock just in case.

When they made it back to Mama's they found Etsuko behind the bar, packing up some food for Hitoshi to bring back with him to Loguetown. Hitoshi was seated at one of the tables, lacing up his dress shoes. Seeing him in his marine uniform made it all the more real for Selena that he was leaving again and that she wouldn't be able to see him for a long time.

Kingsley greeted both of her parents and then proceeded through to the kitchen to pick at the customers' leftovers.

Yes, it was gross. Yes, Selena did it from time to time, too.

"So, did you guys have fun while I was gone?" Selena asked her parents knowingly.

Hitoshi promptly executed a perfect spit take, which was made even more ridiculous by the fact that he hadn't been drinking anything at the time.

He put down the glass of water he was holding, which Selena could have sworn hadn't been there a second ago, and shot his baby girl a terrified look. All signs of his and Etsuko's quickie had been taken care of. They had even both taken a shower, which (while at first had been counterproductive because they had decided to share) eventually led to all of the evidence being washed away.

Etsuko's panic was more internal than external, which meant that the only sign of her distress were the beads of sweat peppering her forehead that threatened to run down her face. She and Hitoshi had decided long ago that they would never lie to their daughter about sex, not being the type of parents to make up wild stories about overgrown birds delivering babies like some freakish version of the News Coo, but they were no way ready for The Talk.

She hadn't even had time to print out diagrams!

As the parent in charge of their daughter's education, Etsuko would make damn well sure that Selena was well informed about sex and everything that went along with it. She was pretty sure that it would have fallen on her shoulders eventually, since she had an inkling Hitoshi would find any excuse to cut and run as soon as the topic was brought up.

Almost as if he was trying to prove her theory, Etsuko spotted Hitoshi jamming his remaining foot into his shoe and haphazardly knotting the laces together as quickly as he could. He didn't seem to notice that in his panic he had tied his right and left shoes together, and Etsuko saw no reason to point it out to him.

By this point, Selena was having a hard time keeping her nonchalant façade. One of the few good things about being a kid again was being able to mess with the adults around her, but her parents had the absolute best reactions. Her dad looked ready to shit bricks and her mom's eye was doing a weird twitchy thing she had never seen before, although that seemed to be directed more towards Hitoshi than to Selena herself. Nonetheless, Selena was pretty sure she would bust a rib if she kept holding back her laughter for much longer.

Sighing internally, Etsuko realized her husband was useless in this situation and that she would have to take the reins.

"What do you mean, angel?"

Seeing that her parents had suffered enough, Selena decided to put them out of their misery.

"Oh you know, catching up. Did tou-chan tell you all about our trip?"

Both Etsuko and Hitoshi's shoulders slumped in relief.

Etsuko let out a shaky laugh before responding. "Of course!" she lied. "But I'm excited to hear it all again from you!"

Kingsley chose that moment to walk out of the kitchen, oblivious to the family drama and gnawing on a chicken leg. Selena was worried he was going to be one of those teenage boys that have endless voids where normal human beings have stomachs. He already ate a lot, and it was only going to get worse as they kept intensifying their training.

But that was a problem for another day.

"Do you really have to leave so soon, tou-chan?" Selena asked, trying and failing to keep the whine out of her voice.

"I'm afraid so, sweetheart," Hitoshi replied.

"You can eat before you go though, right dear?" Etsuko asked. "I have everything ready in the back, just give me a minute to bring it out."

Hitoshi looked between his wife's hopeful gaze and his daughter's pout. Yeah, there was no way he was going to be able to say no to them.

Hitoshi groaned playfully. "If my men complain when I get back to the base, I'm blaming you two."

"We're okay with that," Selena and Etsuko replied in unison with matching grins.

Etsuko walked behind the bar and towards the kitchen, intent on sending Hitoshi off with one last home-cooked meal.

Hitoshi turned towards Kingsley, who had joined him and Selena at their table. "So, Kingsl-"

He was interrupted by the sound of the french doors of the restaurant banging open. A man in a marine uniform stood in the entryway, scanning the room for someone. He visibly relaxed when he spotted the "justice" insignia on the back of Hitoshi's coat and made a beeline for their table.

Donning the coat that had been hanging off of the back of Kingsley's chair, Hitoshi stood up to meet the incoming officer.

Selena was a little stunned to find that her father cut an intimidating figure, his teal hair notwithstanding. He wore a classic black suit, which was tailored perfectly so it wouldn't hinder his movements and flattered his frame. He paired it with a simple white button-up and a blue tie that matched the color of the shoulder pads of his officer's coat, which rested on his shoulders like a cape.

At his full height, Hitoshi dwarfed the marine officer who was now standing at attention in front of him. She had never realized it before, since everyone was big compared to her, but her father was _tall_. With his arms crossed in front of him, sword dangling from his hip, and a scowl on his face, her goofy dad actually looked like a leader. She realized that this is how his men must see him.

"Report," Hitoshi ordered.

"Yes, sir. This morning we received our new orders from the fleet admiral. This sealed letter was delivered and although we were not informed of its contents since it is labeled for your eyes only, we were made aware that it is time sensitive." He paused to pull out the letter from inside his breast pocket.

Selena only got a glimpse of it before her father turned away to read the letter in full, but she recognized the fleet admiral's insignia stamped into the golden colored wax used to seal the envelope.

The officer stood at attention once more, eyes trained on the bar so he wouldn't be tempted to sneak a peak at the letter's contents. "When you failed to appear at the planned meeting time, I was sent to deliver your orders in person, sir," he concluded.

When Hitoshi turned back, his face remained neutral but Selena could feel the displeasure rolling off of him in waves. She was glad she hadn't been the one to put him in a bad mood. The officer, on the other hand, was shaking in his standard regulation boots. She wondered if this guy was just a wuss or if her dad was actually that scary.

She decided that her dad was just _that_ fucking badass. He was able to quell marine officers with just one look! He was a motherfucking commodore, trained by Garp himself, on track to be a vice admiral one day!

This newfound view of her father was promptly shattered when he took a step forward, tripped over his own feet, and fell flat on his face. Selena let her head fall forwards onto the table as Kingsley let out a surprised whoop of laughter.

The officer remained at attention, but was definitely fighting a smile.

Hitoshi popped back up to his feet gracelessly, whatever dignity he once pretended to have now gone forever, and carefully made his way over to his duffel bag (like he was trying to do originally). Hitoshi thrust the bag at the unprepared officer with a little more force than necessary, causing the officer to stumble back a bit before he regained his balance.

"Take my belongings and prepare whatever ship you used to travel here to set sail. I will meet you down at the docks in ten. Dismissed."

The officer shot off a quick salute before running out of Mama's so fast that he blurred. Hitoshi tilted his head in consideration. The officer had moved fast enough that his ungainly sprint could have passed for an amateur Shave.

Slumping back into his chair, he bent down to redo his laces. He realized that he had knotted them up himself, which added another layer of embarrassment to the situation.

"You almost managed to look cool, tou-chan," Selena said miserably.

Kingsley's hearty laughter finally died down. "Never change, Hitoshi-ji. Never change," he chuckled.

Hitoshi let out a resigned sigh, but was unable to hold back a snicker at his own expense.

Seeing that Etsuko had rejoined them once more and wasn't laden with food, he asked, "I'm guessing you heard that?"

Etsuko nodded. "I'm disappointed you couldn't enjoy your meal with us, but I added it to the basket I had been prepping so it won't go to waste."

"I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but I can't ignore a direct order from the fleet admiral."

"I understand, dear. You know I do," she said, smiling sympathetically.

Hitoshi and Etsuko had already said their proper goodbyes, so there was no reason for a dramatic affair in front of her customers.

Hitoshi stood up once more, drawing Etsuko into a tight hug. He then took a half-step back so that he could hold her face in his hands and look into her eyes.

"Take care of Selena," he murmured. Etsuko nodded emphatically, her arms still wrapped around his waist. "But take care of yourself as well. The only reason I am able to go out there and do my job is because I know you two are safe and waiting for me to come back home."

"I know, Hitoshi. I will. Just make sure you come back to me."

"I'll be counting down the seconds until I can return," he promised.

With one last sweet kiss, they parted.

"I love you more than words can ever express," he told her.

"I know," she replied, eyes locked onto his. "I love you, too."

He turned back around, grabbing the basket of food as he went, gesturing for Kingsley and Selena to follow. With a wave towards all of the customers at Mama's, and one last loving look from his wife, he set off towards the docks.

"Hey Hitoshi-ji, I'm going to let you two say goodbye on your own," Kingsley spoke up before they got very far.

"Thanks kid, I would appreciate that," Hitoshi responded. He then crouched down so he was at eye level with Kingsley. "I want you to be good for your grandfather. Make sure you train hard, but still make time to have fun as a kid and go on adventures with my daughter. Take care of her while I'm gone, won't you?"

"Like you even have to ask," Kingsley snorted. "Have a safe journey, Hitoshi-ji," he added in a softer tone.

Hitoshi captured him in one of his signature bone-crushing hugs, patting his back twice before letting go. "Bye, Kingsley."

Kingsley smiled back, then scampered off so that Selena could say goodbye to her dad alone.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this, sweetheart."

"What do you mean, tou-chan?" Selena asked as she grabbed her dad's hand. They slowly started walking towards the port.

"I love my job, and I think what I do is important, but I wish it didn't keep me away from you and your mother."

Selena furrowed her brow.

"It's okay, tou-chan." Hitoshi looked ready to interrupt, so Selena hurried on. "It really is. It has always been your calling to be a marine, and kaa-chan and me would never stand in the way of that. Do you think we would be happy knowing we were the ones keeping you from your dream?"

Selena realized that although she had talked about this with her mother, she had never had the chance to discuss it with her father.

"I'm really proud of you, tou-chan. I think you're very brave for fighting for what you believe in and for protecting people who can't do it themselves. But most of all, I'm happy you're happy. I know that you wouldn't be true to who you are if you weren't out there beating down criminals and helping damsels-or-dudes-in-distress."

Hitoshi couldn't help but chuckle at the last bit.

"I feel safer knowing you're out there, making the world a better place. Yes, me and kaa-chan want you here, but the people _out there_ need you more."

It was times like these when Hitoshi truly understood that his little girl was _special_. No eight year old should be capable of that level of maturity and empathy. It wasn't just the words she chose or the sentiment behind them, but the utter _knowing_ she held in her eyes.

Although he was grateful for it in that moment, it also worried him. What had his baby girl gone through that let her speak from such experience?

"I'm never going to stop trying to make you proud, sweetheart."

"Me neither, tou-chan."

Having reached the docks during their talk, it was finally time to say goodbye.

"Never stop doing what you think is right, tou-chan. Be good. Do good."

"The same goes for you, Selena. Make sure you train hard while I'm gone – I want to be able to see how much you improved when I get back. Take care of your mother. Make sure you study as hard as you train. Don't make Kingsley worry too much. Write soon. Eat your vegetables. Um… don't forget to wash your bellybutton and behind your ears? Yeah, that's important. What else?"

Selena laughed. "I think I get the picture, tou-chan."

"Alright sweetheart, I think my time is up," he said, looking towards the small marine ship and seeing that everything was set to sail. He then scooped Selena up into one of his classic bear hugs. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I'll miss you, tou-chan," she said sadly.

He gave her a kiss on the forehead and then boarded the ship.

Selena kept vigil until the ship was just a dot on the horizon and she could no longer see her dad waving back at her.

* * *

Without bothering to change out of his marine uniform, Garp disembarked his faithful ship. He left his men aboard _The Lucky Bone_ with standing orders to resupply and to be ready to leave port at a moment's notice, but to enjoy their shore leave.

Moving quickly through the streets of outer Goa, Garp felt relieved to finally be back on Dawn Island. What he had intended to be a quick inspection of the closest marine bases had turned into a full-on investigation of the largest marine strongholds in the East Blue.

He had hoped to check in on a couple of bases, correct where things had gone wrong, and be back with his grandsons within the month. Instead, he found a level of ineptitude that had shocked even him. He had commanded Bogart to go through the books at each base they visited, and in almost all of them he found levels of corruption ranging from petty theft to a raging black market for office supplies.

Many officers were skimming funds or expending more than they should, while others were just horrible accountants. It was almost impossible to tell where the missing funds went, or whether they went missing due to a nefarious scheme or through clerical error.

In addition, he also had to reprimand multiple officers for abusing their power and the name of the marines. Although in most cases the officers had been using their status to get free meals or to take light bribes, in a few select cases officers had been bullying civilians into doing their bidding or into buying "protection" from the marines.

He hoped he was able to put the fear of god into them – or more accurately in this case, Sengoku – but there was little else he could do. He had doled out punishments and suspended those he thought needed a more severe reprimanding but, without having higher ranked officers permanently supervising the East Blue, corruption was sure to pop up again.

Hitoshi had kept the East Blue division in line when he had command of the Loguetown base. Even now, the Loguetown base was the only one in the East Blue that met HQ's standards due to Hitoshi's frequent visits. With him off in Paradise, the highest ranked officers left in the East Blue were the captains that supervised each base. There was no one to keep those captains in check and since they were the sole commanding officers at each base, they could order their men around as they saw fit.

Many captains grew complacent after being stationed in the relatively peaceful East Blue. Others lost sight of why they had joined the marines in the first place, gaining inflated senses of self worth after not being challenged by the low-level criminals that popped up in this sea.

Other captains only joined the marines in search of money or power, and their true natures were able to shine through due to the lack of supervision.

Garp planned on proposing to Sengoku that he create a new position; there needed to be someone coordinating all of the East Blue forces. There were similar positions for the other seas, and the East Blue was the only sea that remained this disorganized.

He didn't have high hopes that his proposition would be met with approval, however. The truth of the matter was that ever since the beginning of the Great Pirate Age, the marines had been much more focused on pirate activity in the Grand Line. Both the Five Elder Stars and the Celestial Dragons feared the coming of a second Pirate King before all else. Their main concern for each of the Blues was to stem the amount of pirates able to make it into the Grand Line. Which was why they weren't stringent about regulating the East Blue; as long as the Loguetown Base remained steadfast in their ability to keep rookie pirate crews out of the Grand Line, the competency of the rest of the East Blue bases was of low priority.

It would be a waste of manpower to send promising officers to the weakest of all of the seas.

Even after the complete overhaul he had sanctioned at some of the bases, Garp was worried a lot of the corruption was overlooked. People were sure to get their shit together as best they could if they heard a vice admiral was coming for a visit, after all; especially for one as notorious as Garp.

But he had done the best he could.

Turning his attention back to his surroundings, he noted that he had reached the city's edge. He hopped the wall that surrounded the city limits, no Moonwalk even necessary, and jumped down into the wilderness that lay right outside Goa. He made his way through the familiar jungle, having grown up chasing beasts through the very same paths, while stretching out his sense of observation.

He was proud to note that his grandsons' auras already dwarfed all of the civilians on the island. The only auras that were comparable were those of his own men and a few other exceptions. He was also pleased to sense that his two adorable grandsons were together.

Satisfied that his plan to help his boys had seemed to work itself out, he made a beeline in their direction. Shifting his attention so that his observation haki was focused on his grandchildren and no longer encompassed the whole island, he noticed a third aura near Ace and Luffy's.

As he neared his targets his observation haki fed him more information. The third aura definitely belonged to a boy similar in age and training to Ace, if he was to go by the size and intensity. The three auras seemed to be humming in sync with each other and they seemed… happy. Untroubled. Completely at ease.

It warmed his heart to see how much things had changed from the last time he saw his grandsons.

He used Shave to race past the last few hundred feet, eager to see how they were doing with his own senses instead of with… whatever haki was. He may have been a total boss at using it, but he knew absolutely fuck-all about how haki actually worked.

As he surveyed the area for the best place to make a dramatic entrance, he listened in.

"They're gaining on us!"

"Hard to port! Hard to port!"

"Man the cannons!"

How adorable! His boys were-

"Three marine battleships are on our tail, captain!"

"Let's sink those bastards!"

And then Garp spotted their jolly roger.

"Awww, Ace! Is it my turn to be captain yet?" Luffy whined.

"No way!" Ace was quick to reply. "I'm going to be a pirate way before you, so I get to be the captain!"

"There's no way you're going to be a pirate before I am, Ace!" Sabo countered. "I should get to be the captain!"

"Well, I'm going to be King of the Pirates!" Luffy said with conviction. "Don't worry, I'll still let you guys join _my_ crew if you want."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU BRATS TALKING ABOUT?!" Garp shouted as he burst through the floor of their pirate ship themed tree house.

Ace gulped as the blood drained from Luffy's face.

After his initial jolt of surprise, Sabo walked right up to Garp.

"Who the hell are you?!" Sabo asked, his rude tone directly contrasting the hand he held out politely for Garp to shake.

"Monkey D. Garp! Hero of the Marines!" Garp boasted as he shook Sabo's hand.

"Oh, so this psycho is your grandfather?" he asked Luffy and Ace, his hand stuck in Garp's firm grasp. "It's nice to meet you!" he told Garp. "Please take care of me, old geezer!"

Garp's expression darkened.

"Ace… Luffy… who is this rude brat!?" Garp exclaimed as he hoisted Sabo up in the air by the arm he held hostage.

"Oi!" Luffy shouted, regaining his courage once more. "That's not just some brat! He's Sabo! We exchanged cups of saké and became sworn brothers! We're all going to go out to sea and become pirates one day!"

Ace face-palmed in the background.

"I got beat up by some porcupine guy for it to happen but it's okay because Ace and Sabo saved me! Then Sabo lied about being rich but he said sorry, so I think it's okay? Then there was this cool old man and a Tiger Lord-"

Garp gave up trying to make sense of what Luffy was saying and decided to interrupt.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT NO GRANDSON OF MINE IS GOING TO BE A GODDAMN PIRATE!?"

"Oh, so I guess that means I'm in the clear?" Sabo asked tentatively, still hanging limply from Garp's grasp. "So if you could just put me down…"

"WERE YOU NOT LISTENING, BRAT!?" Garp yelled into Sabo's face. "I JUST SAID NO GRANDSON OF MINE IS GOING TO BE A FILTHY PIRATE! FIST OF LOVE!"

He punched Sabo squarely in the chest, sending him flying past the other two boys and imbedding him in the wall behind them.

Sabo plopped down from the wall, standing shakily. He then took a few drunken steps forward to stand in between Luffy and Ace, obviously still dazed from the haymaker. "How does that apply to me?! You just met me!" he complained.

"You're their brother, right?" Garp asked, motioning towards Luffy and Ace.

Sabo nodded slowly in response, not wanting to make himself dizzier than he already was.

"Then I'm your Gramps now."

Underneath the overwhelming terror Ace felt whenever Gramps was in the vicinity, Ace was glad he accepted Sabo into the family so easily.

"I didn't know that was part of the deal," Sabo whined.

Garp snorted before he started cracking his knuckles menacingly. "It looks like you three brats are going to need a lot of _training_ if you're going to be respectable marines."

Collectively, the three boys took a step back. But they should have learned by now that there was no escaping a Fist of Love.

POW!

With one hit, Garp punched his three grandsons through the wooden roof of their tree house and into the surrounding jungle.

And so commenced the smack down of the year.

The boys tried to escape, but it was futile. If anything, Garp was having fun chasing them through the jungle and popping up from where they least expected. He found it cute that his grandsons thought they had a chance of escaping his observation haki. Not once were they able to evade his legendary Fists of Love. They never even came close to being able to land a hit back.

There were a few moments of utmost bravery when Ace or Sabo managed to pull Luffy out of the way of Garp's onslaught, but for the most part it was every man for himself.

Garp entertained himself by finding creative ways to smack them around; he was especially fond of using Luffy's devil fruit powers to his advantage. He tied Luffy's body across two tree trunks to use him as a tripwire, used his limbs as a makeshift slingshot, and even balled him up for a rubber version of his classic Meteor Fist.

By the end of the afternoon, Sabo and Ace lay semi-comatose at Garp's feet while he casually used his smallest grandchild as a jump rope. Luffy had stopped complaining long ago and was resigned to his fate as makeshift weaponry/gym equipment.

Garp let go of Luffy, his body rebounding to its original size with an audible _snap_ , and dropped him on top of the other two boys. They groaned in response, but were too tired to move.

"Bwahaha! You three are going to need to work a lot harder if you're ever going to be halfway decent marines!" Garp exclaimed. "It's a good thing I'm going to be here for a while!"

Garp ignored the renewed whimpering coming from the boys in favor of stretching his sense of observation haki to find their dinner. In no time, he had hunted down four monstrous wild boars, skinned them, and began roasting them over a fire.

The smell of cooking meat revitalized the boys enough so that they could sit up.

"Garp is just as scary as you guys said he was," Sabo admitted.

"I told you so," Ace replied.

Luffy shuffled closer to the cooking pork, stretching a rubbery limb towards the fire, only for it to be smacked out of the air by Garp.

"Stingy," Luffy complained.

Garp chuckled. "Should only be a few more minutes, Luffy."

Luffy pouted and there was a trail of drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, but let it go for the moment.

They arranged a couple of fallen logs around the fire, and used them as makeshift seats. Ace and Luffy shared one log, leaving Sabo and Garp to share the other.

"So… Gramps," Sabo began, the overly familiar title feeling strange on his tongue. "Get into any good fights lately?" He figured Garp the Hero would have some epic battle stories.

"Bwahaha! Of course I have! Just the other day, me and Whitebeard…"

Garp spent all of dinner recounting stories from his glory days and the boys paid rapt attention. Garp was obviously biased against pirates, and chose stories where the marines came out on top, but he gave respect where respect was due. The way he spoke about Whitebeard, Red Hair, and even some of the warlords, showed that (no matter what he claimed) he didn't think all pirates were bad.

The sun had begun to set as they finished their meal, the sky turning vibrant shades of pink and orange. Garp and Sabo were contentedly full, so they watched on in amusement as Luffy and Ace fought over the last leg of boar like the savages they were.

Seeing that he alone had Sabo's attention, Garp decided to broach the subject he had been pondering all night.

"So, I would have never guessed my grandsons would end up with a noble for a brother."

Sabo's back straightened, instantly on edge. "How could you tell?" he asked defensively.

Garp huffed. "I've been around for a while, brat. Your act might be good enough to fool the people in the Grey Terminal, but I've traveled all around the world. I know a noble when I see one."

Sabo looked affronted.

"I don't mean it in a bad way!" Garp said. "It's just clear that you're well educated. You're a good actor, I'll give you that, but your accent fell through a couple of times during dinner and you're more knowledgeable than any street kid I've ever met."

"Please… you can't take me back there," he replied, desperation obvious. He tried to fight back the tears, but he could feel them stinging the corners of his eyes. "You don't know what it's like-"

"Hey! I'm not taking you anywhere!" Garp said resolutely. He threw an arm around Sabo and tucked him into his side, hoping to reassure him. "I was just curious about how the three of you met."

Sabo relaxed a bit, not comfortable enough with Garp to completely let down his guard but less stiff than before.

"The situation with your family must have been pretty bad if you gave up all of that-" he gestured towards the Goa skyline, the pristine white buildings visible where they jutted above the wall and silhouetted against the sunset, "to live in the Grey Terminal."

"Those _people_ are not my family," he said scathingly. "Ace and Luffy are. They treat me better than my parents ever did."

"I'm happy to hear that," Garp said genuinely. He dropped his arm from around Sabo and turned his attention back towards Ace and Luffy. Ace had won the leg of boar in their little scuffle, but had begrudgingly given Luffy the last couple of bites anyways.

Garp marveled at how different Ace seemed from the last time he saw him. No longer bubbling over with hatred, Ace seemed content with his newfound brothers. He was still rough around the edges, clearly not accustomed to being caring or cared for, but he looked so much more at ease with himself.

Luffy, the boy who was once desperate for companionship, now had two older brothers who he could rely on. They didn't seem to mind that he was in need of constant supervision, in fact, they seemed to enjoy the responsibility. Over the course of the day Garp noticed that they were quick to steer Luffy clear of any bodies of water. They also put his safety above their own; both Sabo and Ace took hits he had intended for Luffy. Even now, Garp saw Ace pull Luffy back onto his seat when he got too close to the fire, although he may have done it more roughly than how Sabo would have.

Luffy was no longer alone.

Their brotherhood provided each of the boys with what they needed. Ace found self-worth through being a protector. Luffy found the friends he had wanted so badly. Even though he had just met him, Garp could tell that the same applied to Sabo. It was apparent that his brothers gave Sabo the acceptance he had longed for in his old life.

It had turned out better than he could have planned.

He watched on as the three boys bickered and horsed around. They were too exhausted to do much though, warmed by the fire and bellies full.

"Hey, Gramps?" Luffy called out sleepily. "Do you have any stories about Gold Roger? Shanks had some really good ones!"

Ace immediately tensed up and looked ready to flee. He didn't want to hear whatever Garp had to say about _that man_.

Then Luffy rested his head on Ace's shoulder.

Ace was conflicted. A part of him wanted to shove Luffy off and retreat back to the tree house like he had originally planned, but he didn't have the heart to do it. Luffy looked so excited to hear about the Pirate King, and so happy to be snuggled up next to him, that all he could do was throw a nasty glare at the old geezer and dare him to continue.

It wasn't in his nature to run, anyways; especially from a ghost who was long gone.

Garp wasn't going to waste what he knew to be a golden opportunity. He was going to make sure to tell as many great tales about the Roger Pirates as he could, even if he ended up filling Luffy's head with more foolhardy dreams of piracy. It would be worth it if he could improve Ace's view of Roger even one iota.

And so Garp talked late into the night, weaving a tale of fantastic adventure, glorious battles, and family.

One by one, each of the boys fell asleep.

The next morning, Ace awoke from the light of the morning sun. He was a bit disoriented – he had the weirdest dream/nightmare where Garp had come to visit and then told some admittedly cool stories about Gold Roger, _like that would ever happen_.

He took a look around the tree house, confused as to why he had woken up so early. His legs were pinned under Sabo, and Luffy was using his stomach as a pillow, but that wasn't unusual. They always slept in some sort of dog pile (he refused to call it a cuddle puddle like Luffy did). No, he had been woken up by the amount of sunlight streaming into their tree house. The sun had barely risen, so it didn't make sense for the room to be so bright.

Or at least it didn't make sense until he looked up to see an unobstructed view of the outside world through the skylight Garp had created when he punched them out of their own home.

 _He hadn't been dreaming_.

He twisted around, still being careful not to wake his brothers, to see if the other hole Garp had made was there. He needed to confirm that yesterday had really happened. Seeing the gaping hole, he was glad they had some planks left over from when they had finished constructing the tree house. He and Sabo were going to have to patch it up as soon as possible to prevent Luffy from falling through it when they weren't looking.

He was still staring at the hole in the floor when Garp popped his head through it like a demented jack-in-the-box.

"UP AND AT 'EM, BOYS!" Garp bellowed. "BREAKFAST IS READY!"

Sabo and Luffy each woke with a yell, then stared at Garp uncomprehendingly.

That is until Luffy yelled, "FOOD!" and launched himself at Garp's face. Hugging Garp's head for all it was worth, he exclaimed, "You're the best Gramps! Food! Food! Food!"

"That's the spirit!" Garp responded. "Come along, brats!" he yelled back to Ace and Sabo as he hopped out of the tree with Luffy still clinging to him.

The next few weeks passed in the same way. Garp trained the boys to exhaustion each day, making sure to beat any weaknesses they may have had out of them. He allowed the boys to use their pipes, which didn't make much of a difference but at least helped extend their reach a bit. He made sure to lure Luffy towards water whenever he could, then do his best to push him in. By the end of the three weeks Luffy was much better at avoiding his kryptonite, and both of his brothers were much better swimmers.

Their teamwork had also greatly improved, since the lesson they had learned from facing the Tiger Lord had stuck with them: it was much easier to face a monster like Garp together.

Although Garp pushed the boys to their limits, he also made sure to care for them in his own clumsy way. Every meal was a veritable feast made up of whatever beast had the misfortune of crossing Garp's path, and he made sure to provide them with enough meat so that even Luffy was left satisfied.

Every couple of days or so, he dumped the three off at Dadan's so they could wash properly and he could share a drink with his old friend. He and Dadan traded stories; Garp enjoyed hearing childhood anecdotes about Ace from his foster mother's perspective, and Dadan enjoyed hearing embarrassing tales about marines she had crossed paths with during her youth.

Even though Dadan was callous with her words and her treatment of the boys, it was obvious she was fond of them. She hid her inquiries behind jibes, but she wanted to know where they were staying and if they were in need of anything.

Even so, Garp was both surprised and amused when Dadan had covered the boys in a soft quilt after they had fallen asleep in their customary dog pile after their bath one day. All Dadan could do was glare back at Garp and dare him to say something about her show of concern and the momentary lapse in her bandit boss persona.

After his third week on Dawn, he finally made preparations to leave.

He made one last big breakfast, and sat down to enjoy the last meal he was going to have with his boys for a while.

"So you're really leaving today, old man?" Ace asked, while ripping into the crocodile meat with gusto.

Garp nodded. "I've already spent way more time in the East Blue than I was supposed to, and there's still one more stop I have to make before I head back to the Grand Line," he admitted.

"We're finally going to be able to relax," Sabo muttered to Ace, albeit not quietly enough.

"Fist of Love!" Garp shouted as he punched Sabo into next week.

"And I'm really not gonna miss those!" Sabo added.

"You brats better not let all of that training go to waste!" Garp scolded. "You three have really improved over the last few weeks."

"Thanks, Gramps!" Luffy said, finished with his portion of meat. He rubbed his extended belly in satisfaction, although he continued to eye Garp's serving appreciatively.

Garp absentmindedly ripped off a chunk of crocodile and tossed it over to his youngest grandson, who caught it in his mouth like a golden retriever. Garp went through his mental checklist, making sure he did everything that needed to be done before setting sail.

"Here, Ace," Garp started, tossing him a sealed envelope. "There's a bit of cash in there. Use it to buy clothes for the three of you and for whatever supplies you may need for the tree house."

Over the course of their training, almost every article of clothing the boys owned had been ripped, shredded, or stained with (their own) blood. They also needed wood to repair the damage Garp had caused to their home, which they had temporarily patched using canvas and whatever extra planks they had lying around. Garp hoped that they actually used the money for necessities and not their pirate fund (Luffy had spilled the beans on that one, no surprise there, although he refused to give up it's location).

Ace eyed the envelope suspiciously, before turning an inscrutable gaze towards Garp. What was the catch?

"You should go to Foosha Village and have Makino help you boys pick some things out," Garp continued. "I bet you would love to introduce her to your new brothers, right, Luffy?"

"Oh, yeah! Makino is the best! You guys will really like her. She makes the best food ever – way better than Gramps, although she doesn't give me as much-"

"Ungrateful brat," Garp said, ruffling Luffy's hair affectionately.

Seeing that Luffy was going on about some green-haired woman and that Garp had no intention of stopping him, Ace pocketed the money.

They finished their breakfast as Luffy went on about all of the cool things he was going to show them in Foosha, rambling on about all of the people he was going to show them off to, including someone he only described as "the Lord of the Coast." Whoever that was.

"Alright, brats," Garp started as he stood up. "Come say goodbye to your beloved Gramps."

Luffy jumped into his arms without hesitation, as Sabo and Ace tried to inch away unnoticed. They didn't get far, as Garp caught on to their intentions and scooped them up right alongside Luffy.

Garp squeezed them in a backbreaking hug. Sabo and Ace groaned as Luffy giggled, completely unharmed thanks to his devil fruit powers.

"Love you, boys."

Sabo gave up on his attempts to escape and froze. No one had ever said that to him before. Not his demanding father, who never seemed pleased no matter how hard he studied. Not his superficial mother, who didn't care about him as long as he helped keep up appearances in front of her noble friends.

Here Garp was, having known Sabo for a little less than a month, and he was already expressing more love and concern than his noble genetic donors ever had. Garp had accepted him into his family without question, not caring about his background or who he used to be. In that way, he reminded Sabo of his brothers.

It was a strange little family they had formed, where they expressed more with their fists than with their words and everyone took the sentiment of "tough love" way too far, but Sabo was so happy to be a part of it.

Ace, on the other hand, tried to wiggle out of Garp's grasp with more desperation than before. This was the second time the shitty geezer had said _that_ to him and, unlike the first time, he could no longer just blow it off.

The old man had spent over three weeks teaching him and his brothers how to fight, how to survive in tough situations, and how to work together. He had fed them, cared for them, and even clothed them (although indirectly).

Sabo and Luffy deserved that kind of attention, Ace knew that. Deep down, he even appreciated that Garp had included Sabo and accepted him without any fuss. What he didn't understand was why Garp was treating _him_ that way. _Him._ The son of the devil himself. Someone who, if you asked most people, didn't deserve to live.

Yet Garp was treating him exactly like he would a grandson. Like he treated his _real_ grandson, Luffy. Ace had dragged his feet, had fought Garp on almost everything over the last few weeks, and most of the time he was downright rude, but Garp just laughed it off.

Ace didn't understand why.

(Or maybe he did, and it scared him a little that someone who knew who he was – who had known his father – could care about him.)

"Shishishi! Love you too, Gramps!" Luffy replied. He knew that Gramps loved him, he had said so last time he visited. "But don't come back too soon!" Him and his brothers were covered in bruises and needed a break. Gramps played too rough.

"Bwahaha!" Garp laughed as he dropped the three boys on the ground abruptly. "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to get stronger before you see me next. So don't slack off!"

Garp started walking back towards the port. Without looking back, he gave a final overhead wave before disappearing into the jungle.

* * *

 

_Letter #187_

_Dear Nami and Nojiko,_

_I'm glad to hear Genzo and Bellemère are okay! I've seen drunk people do a lot of crazy stuff while working at the bar, but I guess those two really took it to another level, huh? Hopefully someone took pictures, because that is some blackmail gold in the making!_

_Everything around here has been pretty lively. We're getting a lot of visitors lately because of that contest I told you guys about. Business is better than ever, which is great, but it's exhausting. I can tell it's taking a toll on my mom too. Hopefully things wind down for a while._

_Kingsley's owlets are learning how to fly now, which has been so funny to watch. He always carries them around with him, and they're getting really attached. I have no idea what's going to happen once he tries to release them back into the wild._

_I really miss my dad, but I got a letter from him a couple of days ago so I know he's okay. I hate that he can't tell me anything about where he is assigned or what his orders are. I know that it's for his safety, in case our letters are intercepted, but I don't like being left in the dark. You know how I am. I like knowing everything._

_I really miss you guys, too. I wish you could come visit me here. I know you guys would love Kingsley and my mom. I'd even introduce you to Marcus, just so you guys would know who I'm always complaining about. I feel like there's such a big part of my life that you guys aren't a part of. I wish we could change that._

_Sorry that this letter isn't as cheerful as my previous ones. I actually rewrote it a couple of times, but it didn't feel right to hide how I was feeling from my sisters. I hope you're having a better week than I am! Give Bellemère a hug for me!_

_Your scribbling sister,_

_Selena_

* * *

 

Selena signed the letter with an unsatisfied flourish, unhappy with how it came out but tired of writing draft after draft. She didn't like unloading her problems on others but she lied so much to the people she loved already, in order to hide her reincarnation status, that she tried to be as honest as she could with other aspects of her life.

After sending the letter off with the News Coo who had dropped off her daily East Blue newspaper, Selena met up with Kingsley at the beach near the docks. Ever since Hitoshi had asked Kingsley to make sure Selena didn't overwork herself, Kingsley had put it upon himself to ensure that Selena took time off and enjoyed being a kid.

They had renewed their exploration of Valhalla, where they had discovered a series of interconnected underwater coves that were only visible during low tide. They also played more with the other kids on the island, tried out all of the new sweets at the newly opened bakery, and taught Kingsley's owlets how to hunt.

Selena appreciated Kingsley's effort to make sure they enjoyed their childhood. Although she had fun and definitely needed to take time to relax, mostly she was happy Kingsley was getting to do normal kid stuff. She hadn't realized it before, but she had kind of forced her rigorous training schedule onto Kingsley unintentionally. Because he spent so much time with her, and she spent almost all of her free time training, Kingsley was being deprived of the normal childhood experience he would have had if he hadn't befriended her. The re-installment of Kingsley's Island Adventures™ was mutually beneficial.

Today, they were playing a game they called Battlefield. Basically, each one of them chose a legendary pirate, marine, or fictional badass. They would then face-off, and try to mimic the fighting style of the person they chose and see who would win in a fight.

Kingsley had chosen to play as Gold Roger, donning a ratty straw hat he had gotten from the lost-and-found box at Mama's and a red throw blanket that served as his captain's coat.

Once Selena saw who Kingsley had chosen to become she had dashed home to grab one of her father's old white button-down shirts, a cute dog-eared beanie she had bought on a whim during her last trip to Loguetown, and some grey and black construction paper.

After a few quick snips and some liberal application of tape, their transformations into Gold Roger and Garp the Hero were complete – fake mustaches and all.

They spent a few hours playing around on the beach, constructing their strongholds out of sand and wrestling in the shade of a palm tree. The battle was long and drawn-out, full of hammy speeches and boisterous laughter. Finally, Selena decided it was time to use her trump card.

"Bwahahaha! You have been a worthy opponent, Roger!" Selena shouted, doing her best to imitate her grandfather's bravado.

"You fool!" Kingsley shouted back, gesturing dramatically. "This battle is no where near over! Stop talking like you've already won!"

Selena chuckled darkly. "The things is… I already have."

Kingsley let out an exaggerated gasp.

"No enemy of mine has ever survived my final attack," Selena continued gravely. She slowly reached down to pick up a coconut from the pile she had collected. "See you in hell, Roger. METEOR FIST!"

Selena continued to laugh as she pelted coconut after coconut at Kingsley, each one landing with a small _thud_ and a spray of sand.

"Bwahaha!" Selena laughed, only to hear the real thing echoing from behind her.

"Bwahaha! That's right pup! Show no mercy!"

 _"Grandpa!?"_ Selena exclaimed, abruptly turning about face.

"Garp-san!?" Kingsley cried out fearfully, his head popping up from behind the sand dune he was using as refuge.

"In the flesh!" Garp responded, posturing for a more dramatic effect. He deflated a bit when his antics garnered no reaction from the two kids, who were staring at him blankly. "What's wrong pup? Aren't you excited to see me?" he asked Selena, an edge of something indefinable creeping into his voice.

Selena blinked twice before coming out of her shock.

"GRAMPS!" she yelled, right before she catapulted herself into his waiting arms.

Garp chuckled as he spun his granddaughter around, relieved that she was happy to see him. It had been almost a year and a half since he was last able to come to Valhalla, so he was glad to see that Selena wasn't holding his prolonged absence against him. No matter how long she had to wait in between visits, or how short his stays inevitably were, she seemed to cherish any time they spent together.

It had been so long since someone was so happy to see him, so unconditionally excited to spend time with him, that he had forgotten how it felt. The last person who had looked at him with such genuine admiration had been Dragon, before his rebellious tween years had begun.

Kingsley watched as Selena nuzzled into her grandfather's chest like a baby koala, then proceeded to approach the pair with some trepidation. He had met the vice admiral briefly on multiple occasions, but there was something about the man that was very intimidating.

"Hello, sir. It's nice to see you again," Kingsley said as he stuck his hand out for Garp to shake.

Garp looked down in surprise, having forgotten all about the boy as he cuddled with his sweet granddaughter, and grasped his hand in a firm handshake.

"Oh yeah, Kingston, was it?"

Kingsley blushed as Selena whispered harshly in Garp's ear.

"Oh? Kingsley? Are you sure? That doesn't sound right…"

"That's right, sir," Kingsley responded, before clearing his throat awkwardly. "Um, I should probably head home to help my grandfather prepare dinner…" he trailed off, happy to have found an excuse to leave the gruff vice admiral's presence quickly.

Selena narrowed her eyes. She didn't understand why her Gramps made Kingsley so nervous. She was sure that if they spent more time together they would get along.

"We'll walk back with you!" she said cheerfully before Kingsley could make a hasty exit. "Kaa-chan is going to be so happy to see you, Gramps! And that way, you can eat at the restaurant while I go prepare the guest room for you."

Kingsley threw her a helpless look.

"Sounds like a plan, pup! I can't wait to try more of Etsuko's cooking!"

Kingsley muffled a groan, but began to lead the way back into town dutifully.

"So, Kingshire-" Garp started, his loud voice covering up Selena's giggle at Kingsley's expense. "How's your grandfather doing? Is he still sailing everyday? Keeping active in his old age?"

Kingsley made the wise decision to ignore Garp's slip-up, catching on that the marine was doing it on purpose to rile him up.

They spent the rest of the walk into town making small talk and catching Garp up on any interesting developments about life on Valhalla. Garp kept Selena on his hip the whole time, treating her like a toddler instead of a kid with a full-time job, not that she minded.

When they reached Kingsley's home, situated on the outskirts of town, Marcus and Garp greeted each other like old friends. Garp put Selena down so he could give Marcus a proper handshake and a hearty slap on the back. Marcus insisted they stay for tea before going on their way, and Garp was glad to accept the invitation.

Selena munched on a shortbread cookie as she watched her nemesis and grandfather enjoy each other's company. They had first met on Garp's second trip to Valhalla. Eager to see her rival crushed into oblivion by someone in his own age bracket, she had rushed Garp over to meet Marcus at the first possible opportunity.

To her utter surprise and total dismay, Garp and Marcus had hit it off right away.

They understood each other in a way only lifelong sailors could, and had a lot in common. Both of them had grown up in rather small towns but had taken to the sea because they had seen everything their home islands had to offer. They had both traveled the seas in their youth, and both settled down with women they had met during their travels. Although Marcus had started his family much later on in life, they each only had one child.

Later that night, away from the watchful eyes of their prying grandchildren, Marcus and Garp had shared a bottle of whiskey and bonded over their mutual losses. Both of their wives had died due to medical complications, and although the heartbreak was much more recent for Marcus, both men found comfort in speaking to someone who understood exactly what they had gone through.

Selena had seen the mutual understanding and respect blossom between them, and couldn't begrudge them the friendship. However, she couldn't quell the disappointment she felt when Garp went out of his way to see Marcus each subsequent visit to Valhalla, carving into the already precious little time she had with her grandfather.

She was grateful that she got to see Garp once a year, knowing that his time was valuable and that he was needed elsewhere. She felt lucky to see him at all, that he actually cared enough about her to go out of his way just to see _her_. She even felt a little guilty because time he spent with her was time he could have been spending with his grandsons.

But a tiny part of her, the part of her that was an eight-year-old child who _missed_ her Gramps, was resentful of the fact that Garp was never able to spend more than a day or two on Valhalla at a time. That same small part of her, who maybe used her kinship with Garp to fill in the gaping void in her heart Hitoshi left behind whenever he was deployed, was jealous of anyone who got Garp's attention. The bitterness she felt wasn't directed at any person, she knew Garp was surpassing any expectations she had and that Marcus wasn't doing anything wrong, it was aimed more at the situation and the circumstances that kept her apart from so many of the people she loved.

Her dad. Her grandfather. Nami. Nojiko. Bellemère.

She tried not to take out her frustration on anyone, but she didn't stop herself from sending dirty looks towards Marcus whenever Garp wasn't looking. Marcus returned in kind, sending exaggerated death glares her way from behind Garp's back, which assuaged any guilt she was feeling about being a brat.

She finally gave up on trying to vaporize Marcus with her mind, and spent the rest of their short visit helping Kingsley out in the kitchen. After a drawn-out goodbye, they were finally able to leave.

"Goodbye Selena-chan!" Marcus called out mockingly. "You're welcome here anytime!" he added.

Selena just rolled her eyes, knowing that Gramps wouldn't pick up on the sarcasm in Marcus's delivery.

"Thank you for your hospitality!" Garp called back carelessly.

Marcus chuckled to himself as he shut the door. He really hoped little Selena-chan would visit more often. He loved seeing how grumpy she would get in his presence, hissing at him like a wet kitten. It was adorable.

Further down the road, Selena tugged on Garp's hand impatiently as they headed towards Mama's Place. She was eager to get her grandfather settled so that they could make the most of the little time they had together. Garp just chuckled and let himself be dragged along.

Selena busted through the doors of the restaurant in her usual fashion, Garp still in tow. The regulars let out a cheer of "Selena!" in greeting, which she ignored in favor of rushing to the bar and presenting her grandfather to her mom like he was part of her show-and-tell project.

"Look who's here, kaa-chan!"

"What a lovely surprise, Garp-san," Etsuko said politely, leaning over the bar to give Garp a hug. "When you didn't visit us in the spring we figured you weren't going to be able to come to Valhalla at all this year. I'm so happy to see you! Will you be staying with us for a while?"

Garp grimaced. "I'm actually only able to stay one night," he said apologetically.

As much as she tried to keep her expectations low, Selena was still disappointed.

"That's even shorter than usual!" 

"I'm sorry, pup. I had some unexpected business to take care of in the East Blue that cut into my vacation time."

"That's okay," Selena relented. "That just means we have to stay up extra late tonight to make up for it!" she said, not wanting to spend what little time she did have with Garp sulking.

"If it's okay with your mom, I don't see why not!"

Both Garp and Selena sent Etsuko identical pleading looks, their hands clasped together hopefully.

"I guess I can make an exception for tonight," Etsuko complied. "But you better not slack off during your lessons tomorrow!"

"I promise I won't!" Selena vowed. "Thanks, kaa-chan!"

"Of course, angel. Now, I'm sure you must be hungry, Garp-san. What can I get you?"

Selena took the opportunity to run home and get fresh linens for the guest bedroom. She knew Garp would keep her mother busy for a while, having learned over his past visits that his appetite was the stuff of legend. Garp also felt no shame in taking advantage of the fact that Etsuko owned a restaurant, and showed no remorse over eating them out of house and home.

Selena mentally planned out the rest of their evening as she changed the sheets on the bed. When Garp had first agreed to become her grandfather, she had expected him to treat her like how she remembered him treating his grandsons in the story. She had been ready to endure brutal training and extreme survival exercises. To her absolute surprise, Garp never suggested anything of the sort. He wasn't much different than her grandfathers from _before_. If anything, he was even more affectionate.

He seemed to really appreciate quality-bonding time together. They played dominos, checkers, or other board games. Sometimes they tried to bake together, with Etsuko supervising. At least once every visit they sat on the porch together and talked for hours on end. Garp loved regaling her with stories from his youth, and Selena used every opportunity she had to learn more about him.

It was strange to see someone who lived such an exciting life enjoy such simple things. Selena didn't think he was treating her differently because she was a girl (she _really_ hoped that wasn't why). His visits to Valhalla were so short that it didn't make sense to waste their time training. Two days wasn't really enough time for her to be able to learn anything new. Not to mention, that unlike his grandsons, Selena had parents who were looking out for her and were able to teach her. Hitoshi worked for many years as an instructor and was very skilled. Garp probably trusted his student to oversee her training.

At least, that's what she told herself.

After making sure everything was in order and leaving a set of fresh towels on the bed, Selena rushed back to the restaurant, unsurprised to find that Garp was still mid-feast.

They chatted while he ate; Garp told her what he could about his whereabouts over the past year and a half, about his crew, and about up-and-coming marines. He also mentioned that he had been offered the position of admiral multiple times over the past decade, but that he turned down every offer. He believed that he was past his prime, and that it was time for the next generation to step-up.

Selena listened intently, chiming in whenever he brought up a name she recognized. Etsuko also jumped in whenever she got the chance, taking small breaks to rest at their table. Selena offered to help bartend but Etsuko turned her down, wanting her daughter to spend as much time as she could with Garp.

After closing, they headed home, showered, and got ready for bed. The three played board games in their pajamas for hours, when Etsuko finally decided to turn in.

Selena decided to make hot cocoa for the both of them, hoping that the sugar would help her stay awake for a bit longer.

Garp watched from his seat at the kitchen table as his granddaughter flitted around looking for the proper ingredients. She was making a spectacle of herself, acting like she was in a cooking competition for his entertainment. He let her do as she liked, clapping at all the right moments and only intervening to stop her from adding in an alarming amount of sugar to the concoction.

She placed the still steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of him, garnishing the drink with both whipped cream and marshmallows.

She watched expectantly as he took a sip. Garp was surprised that it actually tasted good – he had watched as she had thrown a bunch of things together but hadn't really thought she knew what she was doing. There were hints of cinnamon and vanilla, but it didn't overpower the rich chocolatey taste.

"Delicious! Nicely done, pup!"

Selena beamed at the praise, took a sip of her own drink, and let out a content hum.

"I'm a pretty good cook, Gramps. You tend to pick up a few things while working in a restaurant," Selena said with a chuckle.

"I suppose," Garp conceded. "Is that what you want to do when you grow up? Take over your mom's business?"

Garp had asked the question lightly, but was more invested in her answer than he tried to let on. Out of all of his grandchildren, Selena was the most likely to become a marine. For the moment, at least. He still had time to beat the idea into his grandsons' heads, and he was sure it was only a matter of time before they saw the light.

He could almost see it now: all of his grandchildren decked out in marine white, three admirals and a fleet admiral, lauded as heroes by civilians everywhere.

"I don't think so," she responded while picking up the remains of their last game of Battleship (which Garp had won every time, much to her frustration). "I don't think I'd be able to live on this island forever. I want to see the world."

"So you're thinking of following in your dad's footsteps instead?" he asked, a hint of pride in his voice.

"I don't know…"

"You don't know? But joining the marines is a great way to travel, and you get paid to do it! You've heard my stories; I've been everywhere."

"Yeah, but it's not like you get to choose where you're stationed. I could end up stuck in a god-forsaken base in the middle of nowhere until I die."

"Once you move up the ranks you get more say in where you go, and I know you'll have no problems getting promoted, pup. Hitoshi told me that he's been training you, and that's going to be a huge advantage when you do enlist."

Selena took a slight pause, surprised by the surety in Garp's voice.

"He taught me the basics of hand-to-hand and the absolute minimum I'd have to know about swordsmanship, but I've mostly been learning on my own. I'm working really hard, but I don't think I'm as good as you think I am."

"You're still very young and have time to grow. By the time you join, you'll have more than a decade of experience over all of the other new recruits. Most people come in with no training at all. Besides, Hitoshi is very proud of how much you've improved. He might be a little biased, but don't sell yourself short. I'm sure your hard work is going to pay off."

Garp felt a smidgen of guilt pick at his conscience. He had never attempted to train Selena partly because he knew she was in good hands with Hitoshi, but mostly because he didn't want to change the nature of their relationship.

He knew he would be a better teacher than her father, mainly because he wouldn't coddle her and wouldn’t be afraid to push her into extreme situations. Hitoshi would never intentionally put his daughter in danger but when it came to training, sometimes real-life experience was the only way to learn. Hitoshi's desire to protect her was, in some ways, hindering her progress.

But he didn't want Selena to look at him differently. Whenever he came to Valhalla, he got to enjoy the simple comforts in life. He spent time with friends, ate delicious home-cooked meals, and cuddled with his granddaughter. He was able to be a normal grandfather. He didn't want to lose that. There were very few people in his life that treated him with such genuine affection.

Tsuru and Sengoku, who were undoubtedly his dearest friends, had to maintain a certain level of professionalism. Yes, he was Monkey D. Garp and he was allowed a considerable amount of leeway, but Sengoku was still his superior and Tsuru was a peer. Duty came first.

Bogart, Hitoshi, and Bellemère (before their falling out) were his protégés. They would carry on his legacy, and he was closer to them than he was with his own son. But he was their mentor first and foremost, which demanded a certain level of respect. He was their superior and he had to know that they would be ready to follow his orders at any time.

At one time, Dragon had idolized him the same way Selena did. Over the years, that adoration became tinged with resentment due to his constant absence and then over their differing worldviews.

His grandsons, who by nature alone just weren't as cuddly as Selena, definitely held a certain level of admiration for him. They were impressed by his strength and respected his experience. Ace had even grudgingly admitted, although he was delirious from exhaustion and slightly dehydrated, that there was "a lot he could learn" from Garp. But they were also terrified of him. His training methods were highly effective, but somewhat traumatizing.

"I can also show you a thing or two, once you're a bit older," he offered. "As I'm sure your dad has told you, I'm a pretty great teacher."

But Selena heard the hesitation in his voice – and while a part of her was clamoring at the opportunity to be taught by a _vice fucking admiral_ , she didn't want Garp to teach her out of some sense of obligation or because she pressured him to. Why didn't he want to? Why was she being treated differently than his other grandkids?

"Thanks, Gramps. But that's not even the main reason why I don't think I can be a marine. I don't think that much discipline and structure would be good for me. I already put so much pressure on myself that I think I would either burn out or have a mental breakdown in that strict of an environment. Plus, I don't think I'd be good at the whole blind obedience thing," she said honestly.

"Or a demanding environment could be exactly what you need to become the best version of yourself. Besides, no grandkid of mine would buckle under the pressure," he said dismissively. "What do you mean by blind obedience?"

Selena took another sip of hot chocolate.

"Well, I could see myself following the orders of my commanding officer – someone I know and trust – but that's not how it works, is it? Even if I were loyal to my direct superior, they wouldn't always be calling the shots. Orders are passed down the chain of command, and I wouldn't be able to do something just because some shadowy organization told me to."

"But the boys in HQ aren't some mysterious secret society," Garp responded jokingly. "The current Fleet Admiral is Sengoku, a man who I've fought alongside of for decades and one of my best friends. I can introduce you if you're that worried about it."

"I wasn't talking about him," Selena said, choosing to ignore the fact that Garp just offered to personally introduce her to one of the most powerful people in the world like it was nothing. "I meant the World Government, or worse, the Celestial Dragons."

Garp frowned. The papers only reported news that framed the government and the World Nobles in a positive light, so the only way Selena would have a negative opinion of them would be if Hitoshi had mentioned them. 

"What have you heard about them?"

"Almost nothing – and that's the problem. How could I be loyal to an organization I know nothing about? The papers only mention the World Government when talking about new laws that have been passed or when they talk about sentencing prisoners to Impel Down. There's even less information about the Celestial Dragons."

Even with her reincarnated knowledge, Selena knew almost nothing about the World Government or its motivations. She knew about CP-9 from the Ennies Lobby Arc and of the existence of the Five Elder Stars, but that was about it.

She wasn't lying about the dearth of information about the Celestial Dragons, either. In all of her time in this world, she had only read one story about a World Noble: a highly censored fluff piece covering Saint Jalmack's inspection visit to Marine HQ.

"Look, I'm not a huge fan of those guys either, but the system is necessary. Without the government maintaining order, pirates would have driven the world to chaos a long time ago," he stated. He actually believed that Dragon had good intentions but was going about things the wrong way by proposing a complete revolution. "Besides, do you know how rare it is for the World Government to interfere with Marine affairs? Ninety percent of orders sent down the ranks are coming from Sengoku himself."

"It's that leftover ten percent that bothers me. If I'm going to dedicate myself to something, I wanna know who I'm risking my life for and who I'm working for," she responded seriously. "But come on, Gramps! I'm only eight! I've got plenty of time to figure things out."

"That's right, pup! And it's a good thing that you're thinking so deeply about this kind of stuff. It shows me that you're going to be a great marine one day who follows her own sense of justice!"

Selena groaned and decided to just let Garp live in denial.

They stayed up playing card games for another hour before Selena finally fell asleep on the table, unable to keep her eyes open any longer.

The next day, Selena and Kingsley accompanied Garp back to the docks to wave him off properly with varying degrees of enthusiasm. While Kingsley was happy to get the eccentric vice admiral off of his island, Selena was sad to see him go. She would have to wait at least a year before seeing her grandfather again.

Selena returned home and did her best to keep her promise to her mother to stay awake during her lessons. After her third time drowsing off, Etsuko took pity on her and cut the lessons short. Selena took a nap later in the day and tried to make up for it by working an extra long shift at the bar, but she still felt guilty for breaking her word.

Life for Selena went back to routine. Everyday was a cycle of lessons, training, working at the restaurant, and goofing off with Kingsley. She made sure to spend quality time with her mother each day, knowing that Hitoshi's prolonged absence was going to wear Etsuko down. She tried to help out at Mama's as much as she could, constantly coming up with new games and seasonal drinks, and even began learning how to cook some of her family's treasured recipes.

Etsuko loved having her daughter in the kitchen with her, where she could pass down her family's knowledge. After she taught Selena basic cooking techniques and knife safety, they started on the easier recipes. They also experimented, trying to come up with new twists on their favorite dishes, or baked intricate desserts when they had extra time. Etsuko had forgotten just how fun cooking could be; since she did it for a living, it had become a chore. Cooking with Selena reminded her of how much she enjoyed being in the kitchen.

She also felt a certain sense of fulfillment whenever Selena perfected another one of her family's recipes. Etsuko used the opportunity tell Selena stories about her family and what it was like for her to grow up in Mama's. She felt like her family's legacy was living on. The first time they had created something together that was good enough to be put on the menu, she had teared up. Selena had earned her place in their family's history. She spent the following week recommending the new dish to every customer that walked in, boasting about how her daughter had created it. Selena was both mortified and extremely pleased.

Life had gone on as usual, which was why Selena was surprised to spot a marine battleship on the horizon during an early morning run. Hitoshi wasn't due back home for a while, and Garp had left only a few weeks ago, so she was confused as to what was going on. Not to mention that both men usually left their ships in Loguetown to be restocked and refurbished, then ferried over to Valhalla.

The ship was too far off to make out any distinct features, so Selena ran home to shower and change. By the time she made it back to the docks, the ship was nearing the shoreline. One quick look was all that was needed to confirm that it was Garp's ship: it was massive, the figurehead featured a giant bulldog, and the crow nests were shaped like doghouses.

Selena waited eagerly for Garp, thinking that he was able to get more time off or that his next mission was delayed for some reason. Either way, she wasn't complaining.

She watched as the marines on deck docked the ship and finally caught a glimpse of Garp when they set up the gangway. Immediately, all of her excitement turned into dread. Garp was almost unrecognizable. He looked like he had aged years in the few weeks she hadn't seen him. The absence of his trademark grin made his wrinkles seem more prominent; for once, Selena actually thought he looked his age.

It took no time for Garp to spot her from his place near the ship's railing. As he approached, his somber mood was unmistakable. Anxiety gripped Selena, making her stomach twist.

"Gramps? What's going on?"

"Let's go find your mom first, Selena."

Garp bent down and hefted her up into his arms. Over his shoulder, Selena was able to make out several of his men sending her pitying glances. She turned away quickly, burying her face in her grandfather's neck.

The silent trip to Mama's was over much too quickly for Selena's liking. Garp stepped through the doors quietly and shut them behind him, adding another level of wrongness to the situation.

"I'm sorry! We're not open yet!" Etsuko called out from the back. She appeared in the kitchen doorway with a ladle in hand and broke into a smile when she saw who had walked in.

Her expression fell when she picked up on the grave mood.

"No… please, no."

Her hand flew up to cover her mouth and she scrunched her face up in despair, knowing that there could only be one reason for Garp's presence.

Selena tightened her grip on Garp's jacket at her mother's reaction, pulling herself impossibly closer to him to ground herself. This couldn't be real.

"I am so unbelievably sorry to tell you this… but I thought you deserved to hear it from me," he said, voice cracking at the end. He took a steadying breath. "Hitoshi is dead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so there was a lot of ASL this chapter (not that I mind). I'm trying to follow the timeline, and if I'm getting this right, all of Luffy's childhood flashbacks happen when he was seven. Which means he meets Shanks, Ace, Dadan, and Sabo all in the same year? And everything with the Grey Terminal happens that year too? So it's a lot of stuff to jam pack into a short amount of time.
> 
> In other news, Garp isn't the worst guardian in the world this time around and he learned that the best way into his grandsons' hearts is through their stomachs. He kind of took over this chapter, hence the title, but whatever.
> 
> I basically had to re-work the order of a lot of events I had planned out a long time ago and then add an extra chapter. I had to do the same for chapter three, so I guess I should expect this to happen again. Honestly, the childhood arc is going to be longer than I planned but I'm not in a rush to get to canon anyways. I'm enjoying having time to flesh out my OCs and really show what Selena's interpersonal relationships are like.
> 
> Last edited on 6/3/18.


	6. Rule of Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, before you get on with the chapter, I just wanted to apologize for the unplanned hiatus. Let's just say 2018 has been a rough year for me. 
> 
> I also wanted to give a quick plug to my new tumblr, which matches my new username. I didn't want to go into too much detail about my personal life in the author's notes, but if you have any questions for me, I'd be more than happy to answer them over there!
> 
> http://ghost-puppy.tumblr.com/

_Ten years before Romance Dawn_

* * *

Hitoshi rubbed his forehead roughly, trying to alleviate the pounding pressure in his head. He gave up on trying to finish the paperwork that was strewn haphazardly across his desk and decided that his time would be better spent on deck with his men.

Ever since the beginning of this assignment, tension amongst his crew had been at an all-time high. It wasn't a difficult mission, or a particularly dangerous one, but it was taxing in a way that none of them were used to. Their  _charge_ , for lack of a better word, was an unpleasant human being on his best day and an absolute terror on his worst.

Hitoshi wasn't surprised to hear one of the rookies joke about starting a mutiny. She had clammed up when she noticed him, and he was sure she was about to start spouting apologies, but Hitoshi just shot her an indulgent smile and continued on his way.

Three weeks with a Celestial Dragon was enough to try anyone's patience, after all.

Hitoshi had regrouped with his crew at the Loguetown base after departing from Valhalla. He was frustrated that Sengoku had assigned him this mission; it was, in Hitoshi's opinion, of low priority and low risk. To assign a Commodore to guard duty was a waste of resources, and frankly, a waste of his time.

But orders were orders, so he set sail to the coordinates provided for him. They convened with the Celestial Dragon's pleasure yacht at the edge of the Calm Belt at the pre-set meeting point. This was when Hitoshi realized that this assignment was going to be worse than he had previously imagined.

When he had first read through the missive the Fleet Admiral had sent, he was annoyed that he was put on what was basically glorified babysitting duty. After meeting Saint Jalmack, however, he realized that the next month of duty was going to be an exercise in self-control and frustration.

From the moment they met, the Celestial Dragon treated the marines that were assigned to him like scum. Not only did he already have a personal guard force that was more than enough to protect him from any of the petty threats he could possibly face in the East Blue, but his ship was also equipped with advanced weaponry that was overkill against anything that the weakest of all of the seas could throw at him.

Due to either some great luck or (more likely) Garp's interference, Hitoshi had never met any of the World Nobles. He was grateful that he had gone so long without having to be in their presence, because he quickly found that this supposedly superior being was utterly disgusting. Saint Jalmack's attitude towards not only the marines, but his own personal crew, was appalling. The Celestial Dragon acted like they weren't even human.

And that's not including how he treated his slaves.

Hitoshi had heard rumors about the World Nobles and their  _collections_ , but he had assumed that they were baseless. He thought that the Revolutionaries had planted these fabrications in order to demonize the World Government and give the civilians a reason to band together and join the uprising.

But oh, how wrong he was.

After a brief introduction to Saint Jalmack, in which he was immediately degraded and made aware of his position in comparison to the World Noble, Hitoshi met with the head of the personal guard. As protocol dictated, he then joined the guard on a short tour of the vessel to look for possible security breaches and weak points that could be taken advantage of by enemies.

What he saw was nothing short of horrific.

The upper levels of the yacht were ornately decorated to the point of gaudiness. Everything was made of gold, encrusted with jewels, or covered in expensive fabric. The whole place reeked of perfume. In many instances, Hitoshi noted that function was discarded in favor of comfort. The vessel was much slower than other boats of its size due to the weight of the gold pillars and the marble floors. A delicate, and easily broken, paddling system was needed in order to keep the yacht moving at a pace faster than a transponder snail. Garish curtains covered many of the windows, lowering visibility, and guards were prohibited from entering certain "private" areas.

Throughout the whole encounter, Hitoshi's face had remained impassive. He endured Saint Jalmack's belittling, the head guard's air of superiority, and surveyed the ridiculousness of the pleasure yacht without a flicker of emotion.

His façade almost broke when they reached the bowels of the ship.

All of the luxury he had seen on the upper levels was gone. The chamber was uncomfortably cold and the only source of light was from the small portholes that lined the metal walls. The space was split into six cells, three on each side with a narrow hallway running down the middle.

But what truly horrified him was the condition of the people being held in the cells. There were around thirty slaves altogether, each looking about one step away from death's embrace. Most of them were huddled together, trying to preserve any body heat they could before it was sapped away into the chilly metal floors. Their necks, wrists, and ankles were rubbed raw from the heavy iron shackles that chained them together and to the walls of the cells.

They were all dressed in some sort of uniform bearing Saint Jalmack's insignia. Some of the young women were wearing a skimpier version of the same outfit, through which Hitoshi could see that they had been branded with the World Nobles' mark. On others, he saw bloodstains on their clothes that crisscrossed their backs, as if they had been lashed with a whip. All of them were thin, like they were given just enough food to keep them from keeling over.

It was completely silent except for the sound of the waves crashing against the hull of the ship.

The air in the room was oppressive. Hitoshi could feel their misery and utter hopelessness pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe. His chest tightened and his throat closed up, but after the initial shock, he had let nothing show on his face.

The most disturbing aspect was their eyes.

They followed Hitoshi's movement down the hallway as he continued with the farce of an inspection. Instead of seeing a spark of hope or reassurance at his presence, there was nothing. Their eyes were void of emotion, personality, anything – it was like they were already gone. They were just husks of the people they used to be.

Which made Hitoshi believe that he wasn't the first marine to find out about this.

He turned abruptly and made his way back to the staircase, surprised to see that even the head guard looked perturbed by the atrocity that his boss was committing. Hitoshi thanked him for the guided tour without stopping and forced himself to not break into a run. With calm, measured steps, he traced his way back up to the deck of the vessel, back to his own ship, into his personal quarters, and sprinted over to the toilet so he could puke up his lunch.

After he emptied his stomach of its contents, he shuffled closer to the wall and rested his head against the cool tiles.

Was this the cost of peace?

It was obvious that the World Government was aware of the actions of the Celestial Dragons. There was no way that these many people could have gone missing without Marine Headquarters noticing. He shuddered at the sheer number of slaves the Celestial Dragons must have taken. If Saint Jalmack felt it necessary to bring thirty slaves for a short tour of the East Blue, how many did he leave back in Mariejois? How many did his family own? How many people had been ripped away from their homes and their lives because of the whims of one of these World Nobles?

Is this what the world had come to? The Marines allowed the Celestial Dragons certain _liberties_ because it was the easiest way to maintain order. With the World Government in place, the Marines were able to maintain the status quo and enforce justice – to a certain extent.

Hitoshi felt sick.

Was it really the best possible solution?

He felt as if he had lived his whole life with blinders, only to have them suddenly removed. His perspective had been so  _wrong_ , so biased, and so limited.

He didn't know what to do. He was torn between his need for justice and his desire to give the organization he had dedicated his life to the benefit of the doubt.

So he decided to continue the mission. He had been taught to follow orders. Obedience had been ingrained into him through his training and through his years of experience as a marine. When in doubt, just do as you're told.

But as soon as he made it back to HQ, all bets were off. He was going to demand answers from his superiors and make sure that the slaves – no, the  _victims_  – were set free and allowed to return home.

Until then, nothing could be resolved.

He was glad that he had been the only one to see the depths of depravity Saint Jalmack was capable of, because he didn't think he would have been able to keep his crew under his control otherwise.

Frankly, he didn't know if he would have wanted to.

So he did his best to limit contact between his men and the Celestial Dragon. It was impossible to keep them completely in the dark, though. Saint Jalmack spent a number of hours on the marine battleship daily and he did nothing to hide his disdain towards the crew or his proclivity for cruelty.

It quickly became evident that the marines weren't actually there to protect the World Noble. Saint Jalmack's guards were professionally trained, armed to the teeth, and extremely capable. The marines were there as a status symbol. It was a subtle reminder that the Celestial Dragons could make an admiral appear with the snap of their fingers.

He was sure that Saint Jalmack had ordered Sengoku to put the highest ranked marine in the East Blue on his escort detail, and thanks to the timing of Hitoshi's month-long leave on Valhalla, the burden had fallen on him. Any captain would have been overqualified for the assignment, so to have a commodore for a bodyguard was just another power move to flaunt the amount of influence the Celestial Dragons had over the Marines.

Hitoshi's frustration over the assignment and revulsion for the Celestial Dragon only increased as the weeks went on. Saint Jalmack stopped at the richest cities in the East Blue as part of an "inspection tour." Really, it was just a chance for the lesser nobles to curry favor with the Celestial Dragon and an opportunity for ambitious brownnosers to ingratiate themselves with the upper echelon of society.

The lengths the lesser nobles went to keep Saint Jalmack pleased disgusted Hitoshi. They bent over backward to fulfill his every demand, no matter how ridiculous. They weren't fazed by his self-entitlement or his alleged superiority over them; instead, they seemed to agree with him. They treated Saint Jalmack like he was some sort of deity who bestowed a great honor upon them by gracing them with his presence.

As the weeks passed, Hitoshi was surprised he was able to hide the true extent of Saint Jalmack's inhumanity from his crew so easily. Since the nobles at each of the islands were so accommodating, the Celestial Dragon felt no need to bring along his slaves. He also had his personal guard patrolling his vessel, which meant that the marines were free to stay on their own ship.

It was Hitoshi's responsibility as their superior to shoulder this burden. He didn't want them to be placed in the same position – to choose between their loyalty to the marines and the oaths they made to protect and serve. Not to mention, disobeying a Celestial Dragon was considered treason and assaulting one was punishable by death. As their commanding officer, he was responsible for their lives. He wasn't willing to sacrifice his men when there was a peaceful alternative.

It was a shitty compromise and he knew it.

In order to assuage his guilt, he had snuck into the Celestial Dragon's ship every night to deliver supplies to the slaves. He brought them blankets, pillows, food, water, and spare clothes. He talked to them and listened to their stories. Almost all of them were taken from the Grand Line. Even if he wanted to stage an escape, they would all have been left stranded in the East Blue without the means to survive or a way back home. It reinforced the fact that the best solution was to continue the mission, escort the Celestial Dragon back to Marine Headquarters, but to confront the Fleet Admiral before Saint Jalmack headed back to Mariejois.

He refused to believe that Sengoku would knowingly allow the Celestial Dragon to continue to enslave these people. Maybe the Fleet Admiral had turned a blind eye in the past, or lived blissfully in denial, but Hitoshi was determined to make Sengoku face these people and see the direct consequences of his actions.

The purpose of the Marines was to protect civilians from harm. Their duty was to the people first, and the World Government second. Hitoshi truly believed that. He had dedicated his life to that purpose; it had been the driving force behind his loyalty to the Marines and his dedication to the cause.

Which was why he thought that Fleet Admiral Sengoku deserved the chance to correct his mistakes and do right by the people who were harmed due to his actions.

He was eager to get back to Headquarters and to give those people their much-deserved freedom, which was why he was relieved that they had finally reached their last stop: Goa Kingdom.

He had just finished his patrol and was moving towards the upper deck to supervise the docking process when he heard the first gunshot.

Hitoshi was unnerved. It wasn't unusual for nobles to welcome the Celestial Dragon by shooting ceremonial rifles or through a color guard performance, but he had a bad feeling about this. As he raced towards Saint Jalmack's yacht he heard a second and third shot fired in quick succession. He Moonwalked over to where the uproar was coming from and was horrified at what he saw.

Saint Jalmack had a smoking hand-held cannon aimed at a small fishing boat, which was engulfed in flames. Aboard the boat, Hitoshi was able to make out the figure of a child running about frantically trying to put out the raging inferno that was consuming his ship.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Hitoshi yelled, no longer caring that Saint Jalmack had the power to destroy his career. He landed in front of the World Noble, blocking the child from sight.

To Hitoshi's surprise, Jalmack's guard seemed to agree with him.

"Sir! There was a child on that boat!"

"Are you imbeciles blind?" Jalmack sneered. "Do you not see the black flag? That piece of scum is a pirate! His age is irrelevant! Besides, filthy commoners should know better than to cross in front of my ship! Step aside, Commodore!"

Hitoshi stood his ground. "No."

From his small ship, Sabo tried to see past the black smoke to catch a glimpse of the man who had shot at him. He didn't understand what he had done wrong! He ripped off his coat to desperately try to smother the flames, but no matter what he did the fire kept spreading. The smoke was filling his lungs, making him lightheaded and causing his vision to blur.

"You dare to defy my orders, you insignificant worm!?" Saint Jalmack bellowed, his face contorted in an apoplectic rage.

"I cannot allow you to execute that child. As a marine, I took an oath to protect the innocent and I will uphold that oath even if it's the last thing I do," Hitoshi replied.

Sabo continued to panic as his ship started to fall apart. The wood groaned and cracked as it collapsed around him. The smoke inhalation had left him too weak to move out of the way or even attempt to jump ship. He stumbled onto his knees as his body heaved with relentless coughs.

He didn't even see the burning mast tip over.

A piercing scream was ripped from his chest as the mast pinned him to the deck. Sabo cried out in pain and fear as he felt the skin on the right side of his body sear away. The weight of the mast crashed down on him, and he swore he heard bones  _snap_.

As the lack of oxygen and the unbearable agony his body was under pulled at his consciousness, Sabo used the last of his strength to peer up at the massive yacht. A strangely opportune gust of wind swept over the remains of his ship, clearing away the smoke momentarily.

The last thing Sabo saw was the back of a marine, standing proud, in between him and the barrel of the strange man's cannon. He succumbed to oblivion, allowing his eyes to fall shut, the kanji for justice emblazoned onto the back of his eyelids.

Hitoshi's heart twisted when he heard the child's screams, further cementing his decision to confront the Celestial Dragon.

Saint Jalmack reloaded and cocked the cannon, ready to shoot again.

"You would sacrifice your life for your principles?" Jalmack asked, looking momentarily surprised before his face settled in derision once more. "Then die."

Hitoshi sent mental apologies to Selena and Etsuko, sorry that he was going to break his promises. He wasn't going to be returning safely to them.

The cannon went off with a loud  _bang_ , followed almost instantaneously by an explosion as the cannonball detonated when it hit Hitoshi's chest.

The crowd of nobles watching the spectacle-turned-double-execution screamed as the Celestial Dragon shot at one of his own men, only to fall into a shocked silence when the smoke cleared to show the marine still standing.

Hitoshi's ears were ringing from being so close to the explosion. He dazedly looked down, half expecting to see a hole in his chest, only to find that his body had reacted automatically to the danger and had coated itself in armament haki. It hurt like a bitch, and he didn't want to do it ever again, but he just survived  _being hit by a cannon at point-blank range._

Laughing almost hysterically at his unexpected survival, Hitoshi's hope soared. He could still salvage this, he would be able to go to HQ and explain himself, he would be able to go back home-

After a second of bewildered consternation, Saint Jalmack addressed his underling with a severe glare.

"Guard."

Jalmack's personal guard sent a sorrowful glance towards Hitoshi, which was almost completely hidden by his dark sunglasses. Ducking his head so that the brim of his hat cast a shadow across his face, he lifted his arm regretfully.

Responding to the unspoken order, the guard reached for the cannon and rested his pointer finger on the barrel.

Hitoshi watched with bitterness as the guard's hand turned obsidian, reflecting the sunlight. The darkness spread from his palm to his fingertips, down the barrel of the cannon, until the whole weapon was covered in armament haki.

Of course the head of the World Noble's personal guard had haki. Hadn't Hitoshi already realized that the Celestial Dragon had the best security money could buy? That the marines' presence was just for show, a symbol of the superiority the World Noble had over all other nobles?

Hitoshi's last thoughts weren't of the injustice of the situation or of the betrayal he felt.

Hitoshi thought of the boy on the boat, and hoped he had enough time to escape. His death would have meaning if the boy survived.

He thought of his men, and hoped that they learned the truth of what happened here. That they wouldn't be as blind as he had been, and that they would be given the opportunity to find their own sense of justice.

He thought of Bellemère, and how she had given up everything for two girls she hadn't even known. He felt that he understood her now more than ever.

Hitoshi thought of Garp, and wondered if he would be proud. He had followed his shishou's lessons until the very end. He hoped Garp knew how much he meant to him.

Finally, he thought of Etsuko and Selena. The two great loves of his life. He was sorry he would never see their smiles again, that he would never hold them again, that he was breaking his word and leaving them behind. But he knew they would understand. They loved him for who he was, and he was a marine first.

"Commodore Hitoshi, your services are no longer required," Jalmack stated coldly.

_BANG._

* * *

Selena listened quietly as Garp recounted the tale of Hitoshi's demise.

She felt numb.

Her mother wept silently as Garp explained Hitoshi's last mission, what Celestial Dragons were really like, and how Hitoshi had laid down his life for an unknown child. By the end of the story, Garp's voice was hoarse and Etsuko's shoulders were shaking with choked back sobs.

Etsuko gave Garp a small bow, then headed back to the kitchen to turn off the stove and oven. She managed to keep her composure long enough to close up and to rush home, where she locked herself in the bedroom she once shared with Hitoshi.

Selena didn't react when she heard the back door of the restaurant slam. She sat unmoving on Garp's lap, staring off into nothing. She didn't know how long she just stayed there, trying to process that this was her new reality.

She was finally brought out of her stupor when she felt Garp's thumb sweeping across her cheek, wiping off tears she didn't know were there.

The small act of care opened up the floodgates. She buried her face in Garp's shirt, wretched sobs tearing through her chest. She completely broke down. Her body heaved with utter grief as she bawled uncontrollably.

 _Her dad was gone_.

In a moment of desperation, her hysterical mind clutched onto one thought, one last connection to him. If she could only learn-

" _His sword!_  Gramps! Where's his sword!?"

It didn't matter that she wasn't suited to swordsmanship, that she was best at hand-to-hand combat and had dedicated all of her time to it. If it let her feel close to her father, if she could carry on his legacy-

"I'm sorry, pup," Garp replied, startled at her mood swing. "It was taken to HQ. There's no way the higher-ups would allow such a powerful weapon to be retired. They'll keep it in storage until they find a new swordsman with potential and then recycle it back into the ranks."

Garp had pulled some strings to get Hitoshi one of the Twenty-one Great Swords when he first saw his student's skill as a swordsman. But even though the sword recognized Hitoshi's as its master, the weapon never truly belonged to him.

Selena's hope was crushed. Her last lifeline to her father had been cut.

Her body wracked with sobs once more and she didn't bother to try and stop the stream of tears falling down her face.

Garp held her the entire time, alternating between rubbing his hand up and down her back and petting her head. After a while, he just held her tight and buried his face in her hair. She felt like he was the only thing keeping her together.

She ignored the wetness of Garp's tears in her hair and burrowed closer to him. Maybe she was helping keep him together too.

By the time she lifted her head and regained her composure, she was surprised to see that the sun was setting and they had been sitting in the dark.

Garp hadn't completely loosened his hold of her but he allowed her to scoot back. She reached up to wipe the tear tracks on his face with her small hands then wiped them off on his shirt, making him snort weakly in response.

Without a word, Selena grabbed his hand and led him to the back to clean up the mess of half-cooked meals Etsuko had left behind. They focused on the mindless task of scrubbing down the kitchen. Selena locked up and left a note on the front doors stating that Mama's would be closed for the next few days due to a family matter.

As soon as she was done, Garp scooped her back into his arms and carried her back home.

She didn't mind.

The front door had been left unlocked and all of the lights were off. It would have seemed like no one was home if it weren't for the quiet sobs escaping from one of the bedrooms.

Selena started off towards her parents' bedroom, appalled at her own self-centeredness. She had been so wrapped up in her own grief that she had left her mother alone.

Yes, Selena had lost her father, but Etsuko had lost her _soul mate_. Selena couldn't even begin to understand what that felt like.

Before she could knock on the door, Garp stopped her.

"Give her some time, pup. When she's ready to talk, she'll open the door."

She gave a longing look towards the door, but turned back down the hallway. Garp ruffled her hair in approval.

"How about we make dinner, so when she's ready to come out she'll have a hot meal waiting for her?" Garp asked.

"Good idea, Gramps. Comfort food should help."

She set out to make Etsuko's favorite meal, straight from the family secret recipe book. Garp did what he could to help, even though he was absolutely useless in the kitchen. Selena settled for letting him wash the dirty dishes and allowing him to taste test. She had to admit that bossing around a vice admiral did cheer her up a bit.

Etsuko didn't come out of her room.

Selena spent a subdued evening with Garp, never leaving his reach for too long. She spent almost the entire time plastered to his side. She would have crawled into bed with him if she had been young enough to get away with it.

Instead, they parted ways when exhaustion caught up to them. When Selena closed the door to her room, alone for the first time since she had heard the news, all of the emotions came crashing back. She smothered the whimpers coming out of her mouth with her hand, not wanting to worry Gramps again, but unable to hold back.

She would never see her dad again.

He was never going to come home.

She felt the despair wash over her again, like waves crashing on a shore threatening to drown her with overwhelming grief.

She needed to get it out. As much as she wanted to wail and destroy her room, she knew that wouldn't be fair to her mother or Garp. They were both struggling with their own mourning process and didn't need to deal with her too.

In a stroke of clarity, or maybe desperation, she scrambled for her stationary and a pen. She poured her heart out to Nami and Nojiko, transferring all of her sorrow onto the page. She explained everything that had happened and how she was feeling, not bothering to hide the tear stains that scattered the paper. She wrote another short letter to Bellemère, figuring that she had to be the one to deliver the news.

Feeling marginally better, like she had purged some of the anguish from her heart, she fell into a dreamless sleep. 

* * *

From the next room over, Garp allowed himself to relax once he could no longer hear Selena's sobs. He figured she must have exhausted herself by crying until she passed out.

He rolled over on the bed so that he was lying on his back and stared at the ceiling of the plain guest room. Guilt weighed heavy on his conscience.

Was there more he could have done for his student?

Should he have told Hitoshi the truth about the Celestial Dragons and the World Government, marring the reputation of The Marines in the process? If he was being honest with himself, Garp had naively hoped that Hitoshi would never cross paths with any of the World Nobles. It's not like Garp himself ever spent any time with those bastards – Sengoku knew better than to let him near any of them.

Garp felt a few tears leak from the corners of his eyes, across his temples, and into his hair.

He hadn't been able to lie to Etsuko and Selena. HQ had wanted him back in the Grand Line as soon as possible, but Garp had insisted on being the one to break the news to Hitoshi's family. They had wanted him to lie, to go along with the cover story about a rogue pirate with a vendetta against the marines, but he refused to hide the truth from Hitoshi's wife and daughter. They deserved to know that Hitoshi died a hero.

He hadn't told them everything – how the nobles waiting to welcome the Celestial Dragon had been paid off to keep quiet, how Hitoshi's men had been fed the same cover story they were telling the public, or about how for the first time in his life he had regretted ever becoming a marine.

He was glad they hadn't asked about the fate of the young boy, because he didn't want to tell them that a body was never recovered and that the kid Hitoshi had sacrificed himself for was probably dead.

In the privacy of the small guest room,  _his_  room – however seldom he used it, Garp cried for Hitoshi. The world lost a great man, someone who had the potential to become a bastion of justice. He cried for Etsuko, who had lost the love of her life. He cried for Selena, who lost the best father anyone could have asked for. Lastly, he cried for himself.

Garp lost one of his precious students. Hitoshi, more than any of his other pupils, had carried on his legacy by striking out on his own and moving up the ranks instead of remaining on Garp's crew. He had made the East Blue a safer place and eventually left his mark on the Grand Line, all while making sure he was there for his family.

Garp was never going to share another drink with Hitoshi, listening as his student told exaggerated reports of his feats on the Grand Line. He would never get to see his comrade in arms decimate their enemies on the battlefield, using the things Garp himself had taught him.

He would never get to see his  _son_  at home with his – no,  _their_  – family, joking around without a care in the world.

For the first time in years, Garp let down the walls he had built up for himself. In the sanctuary that was the guest bedroom, he didn't have to be strong, or be the protector, or a vice admiral; he was a father who lost a child. And while he had felt hurt when Dragon cut contact with him and when Bellemère renounced him…

It didn't even begin to compare to the pain he was feeling in that moment. 

* * *

Selena awoke with a start on the following morning.

She somehow felt even more tired than when she had gone to bed. Her room was still dark. She peeked through the curtains and saw that the sun was just a sliver on the horizon, meaning that she had somehow woken up before Garp (who in true marine fashion, rose with the sun every day and made sure the whole household did as well). She dragged herself out of bed and into the hallway, dragging her blankets with her.

Her parents' bedroom door was firmly shut.

Steeling herself for whatever outcome, she stepped into the bedroom, slightly surprised that the door had been unlocked.

The room was in total disarray. Hitoshi's clothes were strewn all over. Broken glass was scattered over the floor, paintings had been ripped from the walls, and the whole room was inundated with the scent of the cologne Hitoshi wore on special occasions.

Selena carefully made her way across the room, stopping once she reached her mom. Etsuko was curled up on Hitoshi's side of the bed, clutching a picture frame. Selena knew without turning it over that it would be a photo taken on their wedding day, taken shortly after the guests had started leaving, of Etsuko and Hitoshi smiling dreamily at each other. It was a candid picture, in which Etsuko's hair had started falling out of her updo and Hitoshi had frosting smeared on the lapel of his marine uniform – but it really captured the essence of their relationship.

After tugging the frame out of Etsuko's grip, Selena studied her mother's face. Her eyes were puffy, almost swollen looking, and her skin was visibly splotchy even with what little light had filtered into the room.

Selena crawled into her mother's arms and rested her head on Etsuko's chest. The steady  _thump, thump, thump,_ of her mother's heart was beginning to lull her to sleep when she felt fingers carding through her hair.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I tried," Etsuko responded dejectedly.

They found comfort in each other, watching as the sun slowly rose and marked the beginning of a new day.

Eventually they made their way to the kitchen, where they were surprised to find Garp had prepared breakfast.

The eggs were runny, the toast was burnt, and the orange juice was mostly pulp; but they ate every bite, touched by Garp's attempt to take care of them.

After their rather quiet breakfast, in which Selena managed to sneak in half a cup of coffee before her mother noticed, Etsuko began to clear the table.

"We need to start the funeral preparations."

She spoke while scrubbing one of the many pans Garp had used, her back towards the table.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that Etsuko, I can-"

He was cut off by the loud  _clang_  of the metal pan hitting the sink.

"No, I need to do this," Etsuko stated unsteadily. "I need to be doing  _something_ , need to keep my mind off of things-"

"Okay."

"I'm sorry Garp-san, I just don't know how- I can't-"

"It's okay."

Etsuko let out a deep breath and took a moment to recompose herself.

"Thank you."

In those two words, she tried to inject all of the gratitude she felt towards the man her husband had admired so greatly. She was grateful he had told them the truth about his death, at great risk to himself and his career. She was immensely thankful that he had supported Hitoshi throughout his whole life, acting as a mentor and father when needed.

She would never be able to repay him for the kindness he was showing to her and Selena by supporting them when he had no obligation to do so. She didn't know who they could have turned to in his stead.

Garp understood. After all, he had gone through this himself when his wife died.

He cleared his throat before starting up again.

"There's going to be a memorial for Hitoshi at the Loguetown base tomorrow. All of his men are going to be there, as well as all of the other captains from the East Blue. A missive was sent out the day after Hitoshi's death, so anyone who wants to pay their respects has had enough time to arrive at Loguetown and leave standing orders for their men in their absence," he paused shortly before adding, "We're expecting a lot of people."

"I refuse."

"Er, sorry, what?"

"I refuse to stand there and watch as the same people who are letting his executioner go free spout lies about my husband. I will not stand there to see them disrespect his memory like that."

Garp grimaced, but decided not to push the issue.

"I wanna go."

Garp and Etsuko turned at the sound of Selena's voice.

"I wanna go," Selena repeated firmly. "His crew didn't do anything wrong and they deserve closure. And besides, I want to look the higher-ups in the eyes as they cover up what happened. I want them to know that I  _know_."

Garp got up and kneeled on the floor next to Selena's chair, taking her small hands in his.

"Look, Selena, I know that you're upset – and I am too – but you can  _not_  say anything. If it got out that a World Noble killed a marine, let alone a commodore, it would be utter chaos. People would lose all trust in the World Government; after all, if they would kill one of their own men, what's to stop them from hurting civilians? It could spark riots or even a revolution. Honestly, I'm afraid of the lengths they would go to protect their secret. I can't be here all of the time to protect you, pup."

Selena's eyebrows scrunched up in frustration.

"I won't say anything. I wasn't going to. But I need to be there- I can't explain it… I just… I don't know. I feel like I have to do this for tou-chan," she said pleadingly.

"I won't stop you if this is something you need to do, angel."

Selena sent a wobbly smile towards her mom, which she returned sadly.

"We still have to plan the funeral, Garp-san. Where exactly… where is his body?"

"He's been preserved and is on the island," Garp replied almost tiredly. "We… I have a room on my ship where we keep the bodies of fallen soldiers to return to their families if we can."

The mood of the room turned even more somber, if that was even possible.

"Well, that makes things easier," Etsuko replied bravely, giving up on the dirty dishes and rejoining her family at the table. "Hitoshi may not have been born here, but he made this island his home. He deserves a proper Valhallan funeral."

She sniffed and forced the tears threatening to fall from her eyes back through sheer willpower.

"I'll take care of everything while you two go to the memorial. I'm sure some of our neighbors will want to help once I tell them… once I tell them about Hitoshi."

Once the plan was set they all sprung into action, eager to have something to do and to keep them occupied.

Garp headed back to his ship, where he had Hitoshi moved to the funeral home located on the island. He also finished planning the memorial and prepared his ship to set off for Loguetown.

Etsuko fixed herself up before leaving the house, donning a simple black blouse and slacks. She then went straight to Bruce's hardware store. He was reliable and would be able to recruit people from the community to help with what needed to be done. Once she built up the courage to tell him the news, that is.

Meanwhile, Selena braced herself for telling Kingsley.

She retreated back to her room, glad that she hadn't yet sent out the letters to Cocoyashi village. Garp's warning had really made her think. She was still going to tell Nami and Nojiko the truth, but not in a letter that could be lost or intercepted.

Using an inky black marker, she redacted the portions of the letter that contained sensitive information. Normally she would have taken the time to rewrite everything, but she didn't really want to retell the story more than she had to. Every time she thought of what her father's last moments must have been like, her heart twisted.

Pushing those thoughts away, she quickly threw on a drab black tee and denim shorts before running out of the house. She wanted to tell Kingsley before she lost her courage.

Pausing only to mail the letters with the first news coo she saw, she jogged down to the beach. There were a few fishing boats scattered throughout the bay and fluffy white clouds spotted the sky, painting a serene picture that didn't match Selena's mood at all. Luckily, Marcus and Kingsley were visible from the shore.

Waving her arms frantically until she was sure they had spotted her, Selena looked on as Marcus and Kingsley argued back and forth. Gesticulating wildly, Kingsley then huffed before stripping off his shirt and swimming to shore.

He dragged himself out of the water and onto the sand, holding up his now drenched cargo shorts with one hand to ensure they didn't fall. Slightly out of breath he asked, "Is everything okay? You never come to see me while I'm out with grandpa."

Selena took one look at him before promptly bursting into tears.

She threw herself into his arms, not caring that he was soaked. She caught him off-guard, but he managed to maintain both of them upright. Bewildered and alarmed, Kingsley instinctively held her close.

"What's wrong?"

"It's my dad."

Through hiccupping breaths and intermittent sobs, Selena recounted the tale. She repeated Garp's account of what happened almost verbatim.

All the while, Kingsley listened intently. About halfway through, he lowered them down onto the ground, ignoring how uncomfortable his soggy clothes were and how the sand stuck onto his wet skin.

By the end of her retelling, Selena and Kingsley were both crying. He had only gotten close to Hitoshi in recent years, but Kingsley had looked up to him and learned a lot from him. The three of them had spent countless hours in the forests of Valhalla together, sparring and practicing their kata. Hitoshi had always set aside time for them and made Kingsley feel like he was part of the family.

Kingsley was also heartbroken for his sister. While he was too young to remember his own parents' passing, he knew what it felt like to grow up without them. He was sure it was going to take a long time for Selena to adjust to life without Hitoshi.

"I'm going with you."

"What? Where?"

"To the memorial, of course. There's no way I'm going to let you do that alone."

Selena lifted her head to look him in the eyes, gratitude apparent. "I mean, Gramps is going to be there. You really don't have to if you don't want to."

"I want to," he replied firmly. He gave her a sidelong glance. "Let me be there for you, Selena."

"Okay," she responded, voice thick. "Thank you, Kings."

Kingsley gently pushed her head down so that it was resting on his shoulder once more. He didn't quite know what to say – how to make things better – but wanted to comfort her all the same.

His presence alone helped her more than he realized.

* * *

Ace watched on as Luffy repeatedly, and unsuccessfully, worked on improving his devil fruit powers.

Every shout of "Gum Gum Pistol!" was followed by a grunt of dissatisfaction and occasionally by the sound of Luffy untangling his rubbery limbs from whatever they had gotten caught on. Yet each failure was followed by another, and then another.

Ever since Sabo had died, Luffy had worked relentlessly on his promise to become "stronger and stronger and even stronger!" in a way that was probably unhealthy for a seven-year-old, but Ace didn't know what to do. When he wasn't training, Luffy often fell into sullen moods that worried Ace more so than his little brother's obsession with getting stronger.

The last few weeks had been… difficult.

Grief had made Ace testier than usual; he was angry over his brother's death, at the fucking "world noble" who killed him for no good reason, at Outlook for taking their brother away for them in the first place, at Bluejam for the terminal fire, at the marine who failed at saving him, at all of the bystanders who did nothing… the list went on and on.

And that anger just compounded the rage he usually held close and had ready to go at any given moment.

Mostly, he was angry with himself.

Ace finally had people he was supposed to protect – he finally had a purpose, a reason worth living for, something that gave him a place in this shitty world – and he failed them.

It was his choice not to go after his brother, to trust Sabo's decision to go back to Goa and to believe that he would find a way back to them somehow.

He was the one who agreed to Bluejam's plan – he was responsible for their role in starting the terminal fire and he deserved to be blamed for getting Luffy and Dadan hurt. The bandit boss should have never risked her life for his worthless one.

A part of him was itching to get in his own training – to give his anger an outlet and actually feel like he's doing  _something_  productive – but he couldn't bear to take his eyes off of Luffy. He had already failed to keep him safe once. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

The absolute terror he had felt when he saw all of the blood gushing out of Luffy's chest was something he never wanted to feel again. He had just lost one brother; he  _couldn't_  lose another one. The bone-chilling fear was swiftly replaced by a stifling amount of guilt, once he knew Luffy was going to be okay.

Luffy had  _asked_  him to help takedown that lion and Ace had goaded him! He practically fed his little brother to the beast himself!

And of course, Luffy had forgiven him almost immediately after gaining consciousness, which was somehow  _worse_  than the reaction Ace had been expecting.

It cemented something in his mind that he had previously suspected: Sabo had definitely been the better brother.

But Ace felt like he owed it to Sabo to look after Luffy like he would have done if he could have. Even if his best was nowhere near good enough.

With a sigh, Ace turned to face the open ocean. Luffy had taken to training on the coastal cliff where he had made his vow to get stronger, the same place where they had first become brothers, as some sort of constant reminder of what he needed to do.

The cliff was completely isolated and the bandits weren't aware of it, which was why Ace was instantly on edge when he heard something rustling from the direction of the trees. He quickly grabbed Luffy and placed himself in front of his little brother, effectively shielding him from view and hopefully harm.

Luffy poked his head out from behind Ace, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was dumb enough to try to sneak up on them.

A man emerged from the foliage, sporting a grin that was as wild as the jungle he emerged from. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with tanned skin and a fierce red tattoo on his face.

There was something about him that intimidated Ace more than Bluejam ever did.

Ace remained hyper-focused on the incoming threat, which was why Luffy noticed his passenger first.

"SABO!"

Luffy launched himself past Ace's extended arm before he could react.

With some help from his devil fruit, Luffy sprang forward and tackled Sabo off of the strange man's back. Ignoring Sabo's yelps of pain, Luffy wrapped his legs and arms around him – afraid he would disappear.

Luffy began to cry almost hysterically – whether out of joy or relief was hard to tell. Tears streamed down his face at a ridiculous rate, and his expression would have been comical if it wasn't so heartbreakingly authentic.

"SA-A-A-ABO!" he continued to wail, burying his snot-covered face in Sabo's bandage-wrapped chest.

Sabo grunted, but made no move to push him off.

"I missed you too Lu, but do you think you could loosen up a bit?"

"No!"

As if the sound of Sabo's voice had broken him from a trance, Ace shook his head to try to dispel the illusion. It wouldn't have been the first time him or Luffy thought they saw Sabo after his death. However, this Sabo looked strikingly different from the figments of his imagination.

Whenever Ace had deluded himself into thinking he saw Sabo, his brother looked the same as he always did: goofy gap tooth smile in place and ready to go on whatever misadventure they had planned for the day. The Sabo standing before him now looked like he had been through hell. He was wrapped almost completely in bandages, which spanned from his head and slipped under his clothes. What was visible of his hair appeared to be singed or in the stages of growing back, and his one visible eyebrow had been almost completely seared off. While the right side of his face was completely hidden by the ridiculous amount of bandages he was sporting, the left side of his face also looked different than what he remembered. He looked haggard and older, even though it had only been a couple of months since they had last seen each other.

Seeing that he was still there, and now giving Ace a teary-eyed yet encouraging smile, Ace started moving forwards.

Once in reach of his lost brother, Ace punched him in his good eye.

"WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" Ace bellowed, before joining Luffy in squeezing the hell out of Sabo.

"I know! I know! I'm so sorry!" Sabo got out in between sobs, now that the three of them were unashamedly bawling their eyes out. Well, he and Luffy were blatantly crying while Ace hid his face (and tears) in Sabo's hair. "I'll explain everything but I'm so sorry!"

"I'm so ha-happy you're o-o-okay!" Luffy hiccupped.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry!"

"You better tell us what the hell happened!" Ace added, not so quick to let him off the hook.

"It's kind of a long story, and Dragon-san will have to help me explain some of it-"

Ace shot him a sharp look.

"But I'll tell you everything! I promise!"

Ace gave this "Dragon" a considering glance. The man had remained quiet during their tearful reunion and had just watched the proceedings with a confident smile. Ace still hadn't let his guard down, but it seemed like Sabo respected this man if the honorific was anything to go by. He was willing to hear him out.

"I have no issue helping you explain the circumstances to your brothers, Sabo, as long as you stick to the stipulations we have set," Dragon interjected as he made himself comfortable on the grassy knoll.

There was still something disconcerting about this guy, no matter how casual he seemed or how relaxed his body language was. Ace wasn't buying it. Something about this stranger set him on edge. And Ace didn't like how he seemed fixated on Luffy, never letting his eyes wander off of him for too long.

Sabo was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. He was overjoyed to finally be back with his brothers, but felt guilty over what he put them through. He couldn't imagine what losing a brother would be like and he hoped he would never have to find out.

"I guess I'll start at the beginning," he began, taking a seat on the grass and pulling his brothers down with him. "On the night that I left with Outlook-"

"You shouldn't have left us!"

"I had to, Lu," Sabo responded firmly. "I wasn't –  _couldn't_  – let him threaten you. He could have done whatever he wanted to me, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he hurt my brothers because of me."

"I don't care! You shouldn't have gone!" Luffy interrupted.

Ace scowled. "He thought he was doing the right thing." They had been outnumbered and out-skilled. Besides, Ace had just let him go. If anyone deserved the blame, it was him.

"I wanted to stay with you guys more than anything, but I had to keep you safe," Sabo continued. "I also had a tiny bit of hope that things would be different once I went back to Goa."

Sabo shifted his head so that he no longer was making eye contact with either of his brothers.

"Outlook had gone through so much trouble to find me. I just wanted to believe that they missed me, I guess." He sighed. "It was dumb."

"There's nothing wrong with a child wanting to be accepted and cared for by his parents," Dragon interjected. "You are not at fault here, Sabo, society is. Nobles care more for their status than for the well being of their families, more about their reputation than their own kin. Greed has infected this world like a disease and innocent people like you are suffering because of it."

"I still should have known better, Dragon-san. I know what kind of people they are."

"What did they  _do_?" Ace practically hissed.

"They didn't bring me back because they were worried about me – my parents didn't want the other nobles to know that their son was a runaway. They thought it would reflect badly on them." Sabo shrugged. "They even had me replaced after I first moved to the Grey Terminal. They adopted a 'promising' boy from a  _good noble family,"_  he said, the last phrase dripping in sarcasm.

Most of what Sabo was saying was going over Luffy's head. He didn't understand why anyone wouldn't want Sabo – he's the  _nice_  brother, after all – but there was one part he did catch.

And he didn't like it.

"But  _we're_  your brothers Sabo!" Luffy whined. "If your new brother wants to keep you, I'll fight him!"

"You probably could beat up the little jerk if you wanted to," Sabo chuckled, although his laughter was short-lived. "He's  _not_  my brother, though."

"Oh!" Luffy's expression brightened. "That's okay then!"

"Yeah, if Luffy can take him then he's nothing to worry about," Ace added casually.

"Hey!"

Sabo sighed as Ace and Luffy began to argue. It was good to see that some things never changed. If Luffy's limbs weren't wrapped so tight around him he would have head-locked the two, but since he couldn't move he settled for speaking over their squabbling.

"Anyways!" Sabo interrupted.

Dragon watched the three interact, amusement crinkling the corner of his eyes.

Ace and Luffy immediately stopped bickering and sobered up once more.

Sabo's smile dropped. His brow furrowed as he continued on. "They finally had the son they always wanted – Sterry impressed all of his tutors and sucked up to all the right people. He never had a button out of place and recognized all of the members of the king's court on sight. He was just like them. But they still needed me there for appearance's sake. So they kept me locked in my room like an animal. They had guards placed outside the door and my meals were brought to me. The only thing I was allowed to do was study. It was worse than when I first ran away."

Luffy tightened his hold on Sabo even more, ignoring Sabo's subsequent grunt of pain. If there was anything he understood, it was the importance of freedom. He couldn't imagine how horrible it would be to be trapped like that, especially by people who were supposed to be your family.

Ace was using all of the self-control he had to stop himself from marching into Goa and decking Outlook in his smug face.

Sabo was touched by how much his brothers were being affected by the story, but hurried on before they decided to do anything stupid. "At first, I just did as I was told. I was miserable, but I knew that you two were safe."

His expression darkened.

"Then Sterry told me about the plan to burn down the Grey Terminal."

Sabo didn't notice the way Ace and Luffy shifted guiltily.

"He was talking about  _burning people alive_  like they were just taking out the trash. He didn't see them as living people – more like objects that served no purpose other than tarnishing the reputation of Goa. At first, I thought it was something only my family knew about because of their connections to the court. But then I managed to escape and tried to find help, only to find out that everyone in the inner city knew about it  _and no one cared_ ," he continued, his words strained.

Ace chanced a look at Dragon and immediately regretted it. If he thought the man was intimidating before, it was nothing compared to the way he felt now. Anger was practically radiating from him and Ace was just glad it wasn't directed at him.

"I just didn't understand how they could be so cruel. They really believed that burning down the Grey Terminal was the  _right_  thing to do – that they were cleaning up their city," Sabo went on, looking even more and more distraught. "I've always hated being a noble – but that was the first time I truly felt ashamed of being one of them."

"But then we met," Dragon interjected. "Some greater force brought us together - call it chance, or destiny, or what have you – and because of your intel, we were able to relocate almost all of the residents of the Grey Terminal. Even the ones who chose not to trust in the Revolutionary Army found other shelter on that night."

"I didn't do much."

"You did everything you could," Dragon countered. "It took an incredible amount of courage to turn your back on a life of security and luxury. You gave up everything to help the very people most nobles consider the dredges of society, spitting in the face of your very own upbringing in order to do so. You showed strength and  _true_  nobility when you could have done nothing."

"Shishishi! You did good Sabo!"

Sabo sputtered and blushed under the praise.

"But there's something I don't get," Luffy added. "If you were free, how come you didn't come back? We missed you," he said forlornly.

Ace paused, surprised that Luffy was actually paying attention and was catching on quicker than he was, before rounding on Sabo. "Yeah! What the hell?!"

Sabo sighed. "Because I knew I would be putting you guys in danger. I had been gone for over a year and Outlook never stopped searching for me. The only thing that would have changed this time around is that he would know exactly where to look first."

"We don't care! You're one of us!"

"Luffy's right, Sabo. You're being dumb. We could take care of ourselves," Ace joined in.

Sabo smiled sadly in response. "Could we?" he asked softly. "Bluejam's crew took us out so easily."

"They're not going to be a problem anymore," Ace said darkly.

"Elaborate," Dragon practically demanded. "We investigated thoroughly, and although we were able to identify them as the arsonists, we were unable to find any trace of them. We assumed they had taken their pay and fled once the job was done."

Ace hesitated. They didn't know anything about this man, and although they had been unwilling pawns in Bluejam's plan, he wasn't so sure Dragon would see it that way-

"It was our fault!"

Ace groaned at Luffy's admission. Why couldn't his little brother learn to keep his mouth shut?!

Reluctantly, Ace recounted how they had been coerced into helping the Bluejam pirates start the fire, how the nobles had gone back on their deal, how the pirates' desperation at being betrayed and trapped in the fire had driven them to the point of madness. He conveniently left out the part where he somehow had knocked out the rest of the Bluejam crew except for the captain himself, because he honestly didn't understand it and he wasn't stupid enough to tell a stranger about it. He continued his tale uninterrupted until-

" _Dadan_  came to rescue you?!" Sabo yelped.

"Yeah. We fought Bluejam together," Ace replied proudly, with an undercurrent of gratitude in his voice. He never expected Dadan to put herself at risk for him. And while he still felt guilty that she was injured trying to protect  _him_ , it felt good to know that she had grown to care for him over the years. He didn't understand it, but it was nice.

"She was so manly!" Luffy added with nothing but admiration tinting his tone, meaning it only as the highest compliment.

Sabo couldn't help it- he started to laugh. Oh, he was wracked with guilt over not knowing what his brothers had gone through and how they had suffered while he was gone, but Luffy always knew exactly what to say to cheer him up. Ace smirked in approval, while Luffy joined in with his signature, "shishishi!" not really understanding what he said that was funny, but happy that he got everyone to laugh.

To Sabo's surprise, even Dragon chuckled along with them.

Once their laughter died down, Dragon went back to business. "So the only victims of the Grey Terminal fire were the Bluejam pirates?" he asked, wanting confirmation.

Ace nodded. "Yeah, the rest of the bandits had taken Luffy to safety before the fire went out of control. Me and Dadan fought off Bluejam, but we barely got out. There was no way he would have been able to drag himself out of there."

"Thank you for sharing that," Dragon replied. "It will allow us to direct some of our people towards other matters instead of letting them continue in a fruitless search."

"I still don't get who you are or what you do," Ace finally snapped. "How do you fit into this, anyway?"

"Oh, right!" Sabo jumped in. "Sorry, I still haven't finished explaining everything."

"We kind of know what happens next," Ace replied, the bite gone from his voice.

"We thought you died!" Luffy cried out.

Sabo sighed, running his hand through the scruffs of hair that poked out from between his bandages. "I kind of did," he admits. "If it wasn't for Dragon-san, I would have. But how did you guys find out? Did you put the pieces together after getting my letter?"

"Dogra saw the whole thing."

"We were all really sad, Sabo," Luffy added. "Why did that guy hurt you? I don't get it."

"Saint Jalmack is what is known as a Celestial Dragon or a World Noble," Dragon began to explain. "They wield an incredible amount of influence over both the World Government and the Marines, which means they believe themselves to be above the law. They have isolated themselves from the rest of society, which has contributed to their deluded view of not only the world, but their own sense of self-importance. Most do not even believe they are human, but gods."

"Huh?" Luffy replied, head cocked to the side quizzically.

"Explain it better. Luffy doesn't get it," Ace added, masking his own sense of confusion.

"Basically, these guys are really powerful and everyone listens to them," Sabo tried to simplify. "They don't have to follow the rules because they were born into these special families."

"Oh! So they're boss nobles!"

"Why didn't you just say so?" Ace asked, feeling annoyed.

"They must be really strong then, if they can get away with whatever they want," Luffy added.

"Not exactly, Lu." Sabo tried to figure out the best way to make Luffy understand. "They're powerful because they're rich and because they were given that fancy title."

"Like Outlook?"

"Yeah, exactly. He's not strong, but he used his money to hire guys to do what he wanted. And he thinks he's better than everyone because he was born into a noble family. Just like that, except Celestial Dragons are a thousand times worse."

"Oh, then I hate those guys!" Luffy concluded sagely.

Dragon grinned in approval.

"But why did he shoot at you in the first place?" Ace asked. "Dogra wasn't able to explain that part."

"Yeah, I didn't understand what I did either. Apparently, it was because I crossed in front of his ship."

" _What?!_ "

"You have to understand that the World Nobles don't need a reason to do anything. None of their actions have consequences." Dragon sneered. "He probably spotted your black flag and made up any excuse to justify attacking without provocation."

"Start from the beginning. I wanna understand," Luffy requested, unusually serious.

"After I met Dragon-san, I spent the rest of the night dodging my father's bodyguards and avoiding anyone who I knew would report back to him. When I figured out a plan, I wrote the letter to you guys and sent it. Once the sun rose, I headed down to the docks. I knew I had to get away from my parents, but as long as I stayed on the island I knew Outlook would come after you guys, whether I was with you or not."

"We would have protected each other!" Luffy tried to argue.

"I know Lu, but I couldn't put that burden on you."

Luffy looked like he wanted to say more, but Ace quieted him down.

"I thought it had all worked out perfectly. I found a boat that was small enough for me to steer by myself, already stocked. All I did was hang my black flag – because even if I didn't have a jolly roger just yet, I wanted everyone to know that they were dealing with a real pirate. There was even a crowd gathered, so I knew someone was bound to tell Outlook that they saw me sail off."

He had marveled at his own luck, thinking that everything was finally going to work out. Even though he wasn't able to keep his promise to his brothers about waiting until he was seventeen to set out, he knew they would understand. He was ready to escape Goa and begin a new adventure.

"There were two big ships coming into port, and I figured that the crowd was there for them, but they were moving so slowly that I didn't even think twice about crossing in front of them. I was adjusting the sails when, all of a sudden, a shot rings out. I guess it must have hit an oil container, or maybe a gas lamp, because the ship was up in flames before I even noticed what was going on."

Ace and Luffy listened helplessly as their brother relived the worst moment of his life.

"I tried to put it out, but nothing was making a difference. I couldn't breathe, and I was panicking, but it all happened so fast! I think there were more shots? And then I look up, and I see the guy who shot at me, but in between us is a marine with his arms spread out. Like he was trying to shield me. And then that's when the  _pain_ started."

Ace and Luffy shifted closer to Sabo, trying to offer whatever comfort they could. While Luffy had started crying quietly once more after hearing what Sabo had to go through, Ace was shaking with barely repressed rage.

"I'll… I'll never forget what that felt like. I was being crushed and burned at the same time, but what was almost worse was how helpless I was. I was being pinned by something heavy so I couldn't move, and every time I tried to struggle I just lost my breath. I blacked out soon after that."

"The actions of Commodore Hitoshi cannot be undermined. He died an honorable man. If every marine were like him, the world would be in less dire need of an organization like ours," Dragon stated solemnly.

"So this Hito guy stood up to his boss to try to save you? Even though he didn't know you?" Luffy asked quietly.

"More like he stood up to his boss's boss's boss to help me, Lu. He was a hero."

"Is he okay?"

"Commodore Hitoshi died soon after the final cannonball was shot. He did not suffer, and I can assure you that he died knowing he did what was right. His sacrifice allowed me to reach young Sabo undetected and deliver him safely to shore, where I performed CPR. I don't know what would have happened if he had not been there, or if he had made a different choice. He will be remembered."

Luffy nodded, his brow furrowed together in concentration, but didn't speak up again.

"So what happened?" Ace prompted, more frustrated than before. Not only did his brother go through something traumatic and extremely painful, but apparently he had actually died for a few minutes. "How come you waited until now to come see us?"

"Do you see the extent of Sabo's injuries?" Dragon interjected, coming to Sabo's defense. "This is what he looks like after weeks of constant care and treatment from some of the best medical experts in the world. He remained unconscious for three days after I dragged him out of the water. Not only are there extensive burns along the right side of his body, but there were also several broken bones, and we were concerned about the possible neurological side effects from the oxygen deprivation."

He took a breath to calm himself down.

"He asked for you almost as soon as he woke up," he added in a much gentler tone. "He begged me to bring him back to Dawn Island once he was able to walk on his own again. I turned him down the first few times, but young Sabo convinced me. He didn't want to lose the only opportunity he would have to properly say goodbye to his brothers."

"What do you mean? Goodbye?" Ace asked aggressively. "What is he talking about, Sabo?"

"I- I'm not staying," Sabo replied regretfully. "After everything that happened, I can't."

"You don't want to be a pirate anymore," Luffy said slowly, drying what remained of his tears. "You want to be… whatever he is," he concluded, gesturing towards Dragon.

Everyone looked at Luffy, shocked at his intuition.

"Explain," Ace bit out.

"When I woke up on Dragon-san's ship, they offered to drop me off on an island not too far away from here once it was safe for me to travel, so I could make my way back to Goa once I was healed. At first, I was so excited to see you guys again. But as I spent more time on the ship during my recovery, the more I learned about Dragon-san's organization, The Revolutionary Army. The more I learned about them, the more I realized that, well, I belong there."

"While our goals are always changing and evolving as we grow as an organization, our primary objective will always remain the same," Dragon helped explain, his gaze locked on Luffy. "To take down the World Government and the Celestial Dragons who control it."

Ace looked at Sabo, then Dragon, and back. "So you're leaving? Just like that?! When?!"

Sabo swallowed thickly. "Tonight."

Ace took one last look at Sabo before jumping up from his seat. He strode over to a decently sized tree, knocked it over with one swift kick, before storming off into the jungle.

"I'll go after him," Sabo sighed.

"Are you sure?" Dragon inquired. "You are not yet fully healed. I could accompany you, if you'd like."

"No, just stay here. I don't think he's going to respond well to anyone but me right now. I'll talk to him."

"Very well."

Sabo limped after Ace.

Dragon took a moment to truly study his son. The last time he had seen him, Luffy had been not even a year old. Dragon had dropped him off into Garp's waiting arms, half-expecting to never see or hear from him again.

He should have known that any member of the Monkey family, anyone bearing that infamous middle initial, was bound to make his mark on the world somehow.

Now here he was, reunited with his unwitting son once more. His boy was a devil fruit user, sworn brother of Gold Roger's son, and (if what Sabo had told him was true) self-proclaimed future King of the Pirates.

He could not have been prouder.

Luffy interrupted Dragon's quiet contemplation by plopping himself down in front of him. "So you're the boss of the Revolutionary Army, right?"

"Yes, I suppose so. I'm their leader and founder of the organization."

"So when Sabo joins you, you'll be like his captain?"

"More or less, yes."

Luffy nodded decidedly. "Then I need you to promise that you'll take care of him."

"Do you not trust in your brother's ability to protect himself?" he asked, more curious than anything.

"Sabo… is tough," Luffy started. "But after what happened… I never want to feel that way again. We can't lose him."

"We will prepare him for the dangers ahead to the best of our ability, but like piracy, this lifestyle is risky in itself. We are wanted by every major government agency, in addition to our individual bounties."

Luffy took his Hat off of his head and studied it as he began to talk. "I'm working on getting stronger so something like this never happens again. But Sabo can't die again. I don't think I'll ever be strong enough for that," he finished in an almost-whisper.

Dragon hesitated, before slowly raising his hand and placing it on Luffy's head. "I can promise that we won't send him on missions until he is ready and that we will train him with the best instructors we have, but beyond that, you will have to trust in Sabo. Trust that he will take care of himself because he knows that his brothers are out there worrying about him," he offered, hoping that it would be enough.

Luffy stared down at his Hat once more, then shot Dragon his classic D grin. "If you can do that for him, then Sabo can take care of the rest. He would never let me down."

"Then it's a promise," Dragon agreed, his grin mirroring his son's. 

* * *

Sabo hobbled along through the jungle, doing his best to not aggravate his injuries. He really regretted leaving his crutches on-board.

Following Ace's tracks wasn't difficult, seeing as he had left a path of destruction in his wake. Sabo scrambled over toppled trees and cracked boulders, hoping that Ace hadn't gone too far. Eventually he followed the trail to a familiar clearing, where he could hear the rhythmic thudding of Ace pounding on their makeshift punching bag.

It looked like their training ground hadn't been used in a while. Sabo spotted a few new saplings closing in around the edges of the clearing trying to find their own patch of sunlight. Moss had covered a few of the boulders they had used as seats and he spotted one of his t-shirts hanging on a branch, right where he had left it to dry. The chalkboard they had salvaged from the Grey Terminal to use as a scoreboard for all of their spars seemed to be untouched, the counts remaining the same as before he had left.

"Ace?"

No response. He didn't even pause in his assault of the punching bag.

"C'mon Ace, we should talk."

Ace grunted.

_Thud-thud-thud._

"Ace, I know you're upset-"

"You don't know what I'm feeling right now," Ace finally replied.

"You're right. I don't know what it was like for you and Luffy while I was gone. While you thought I was… While you thought I was dead. I don't know what you guys have been through.  _So explain it to me._ "

Ace abandoned the punching bag to stare down Sabo. "You want to know what it was  _like_? What we went through?! It was awful! First Dadan was hurt, and we weren't sure everyone else had made it back okay. Then, when we finally are all reunited, we find out that you  _died_."

He began pacing agitatedly.

"Everyone took it badly, but it hit Luffy the worst. He didn't sleep, he didn't want to eat – imagine that, a Luffy who isn't hungry – he just cried. It took weeks for him to smile again. And then, he got it into his head that none of this would have happened if he had been stronger. So he starts training like a maniac! And I don't know what to do, but it's better than what he was doing before, so I just let him!"

"What about you?" Sabo prompted, knowing Ace would focus on everyone but himself unless he asked directly.

"Me? I was- I was just-" He tried to find the right words. "I was just so  _angry_. And not how I usually am – everything was pissing me off. I was angry with Dogra for telling us the bad news, at that World Noble for killing you, at Outlook for everything, at me for not being able to do anything and- and- at  _you_  for dying in the first place!"

Sabo flinched away from him.

"And now you're back, and everything was going to go back to the way it was. Luffy was going to be happy, we were all going to be brothers, and we were all going to set sail one day. But now that's all gone. Because you're leaving us,  _again_."

"You know I don't  _want_  to be separated from you guys! This is really important to me. Joining the Revolutionary army is an opportunity to fix everything wrong with this world. To stop kids from growing up like me, to stop the Celestial Dragons from hurting anyone just because they feel like it, to change  _everyone's_  lives for the better. I could use the stuff I learned growing up as a noble to actually help people!"

Ace remained silent.

Sabo decided to try a new approach. "Ace, what's the most important thing to a pirate?"

Ace scoffed. "Freedom." Everyone knew that.

Ace wanted freedom from his father's reputation, Luffy wanted to be the freest person in the world, Sabo had wanted to be free of his horrible family and noble title.

"Dragon explained the organization's main goal, but at its very core, the Revolutionary Army just wants everyone to be free. So you see? I'm not giving up on my dream, I just want everyone to be able to experience the same freedom that I have."

Ace sighed, feeling drained. He sounded exhausted. "I get it, Sabo. It's a good dream."

"Then what is it? I don't understand."

Ace lay down on the grass, placing his arms behind his head. He didn't want to see Sabo's expression.

"Luffy got hurt while you were… gone. Bad."

"During the fire?" Sabo asked confusedly. "You can't blame yourself for that, Ace-"

"It wasn't during the fire. And it was completely my fault."

Sabo paused. "What."

Ace studiously avoided eye contact. "It was after Luffy started training seriously again. We were hunting in the older part of the jungle, down by the cliffs. We were just messing around, arguing like we always do, you know? And I was glad things were getting back to normal, finally. Then we see this enormous lion. So of course, Luffy starts talking a big game. He starts on about how he was going to kick its ass, and that he was going to roast it for dinner and not give me any. So what do I do?"

"You started making fun of him," Sabo groaned. "Told him there was no way he was big enough or strong enough to take it down by himself."

Ace laughed derisively. "Worse! I egged him on! Told him that I'd love to see how he would do it, that if he could take down that lion he could definitely take me on, stuff like that. Usually, I wouldn't take it that far because-"

"Because I was always there to get in between you two."

Ace nodded tersely. "I'm not totally stupid. I would have stopped him if I knew that he would actually  _try_. But he was gone before I knew it and the next thing I hear is him screaming for help, screaming  _my_ name, but I couldn't get to him in time-"

Ace had covered his face with his hands, hiding what Sabo suspected to be tears. He took a deep breath before continuing. "There was  _so much blood_."

"But he's okay now," Sabo stated slowly, more of a demand than an actual question.

"The bandits patched him up," Ace replied, voice muffled by his hands. "Won't even scar, probably, because of his devil fruit powers. But for a while there, I thought I lost him too."

"Oh, Ace."

"And of course Luffy didn't even blame me for it! But I know it was my fault. If you were there none of it would have happened. You were always the better brother. What does Luffy always say? That you're the 'nice' brother?" Ace breathed out, finally letting his hand fall from his face. "I don't know how to do this without you."

Sabo looked over his brother. It was clear he hadn't been taking care of himself. Tear tracks stained his face, visible because of how dirty he was. His hair was matted up in the back and dark circles under his eyes made it clear he hadn't been sleeping very well. His face even seemed gaunter than before, his muscles more pronounced, making Sabo think that he had lost a bit of weight.

He took one more moment to allow Ace to wallow and then hauled him up into a sitting position by the front of his t-shirt.

"Are you done with this self-pity bullshit?" Sabo asked, pushing forward into Ace's personal space.

"What the  _hell_?" Ace barked out, surprised by Sabo's shift in mood. He had been expecting disappointment, not aggression.

"So you messed up. Get over yourself! Luffy is okay and he forgave you, right?"

"Yes! Now let go of me!" he cried out, trying to wrestle out of Sabo's grip without hurting him.

Sabo responded by shoving Ace in the chest. "You made a mistake, but you learned from it! You're never going to let something like that happen again, right?!"

"No!" Ace shouted back, bewildered by the turn of events but matching Sabo's energy. At this point, they were standing face-to-face while Sabo clutched Ace's shoulders with an unrelenting grip.

"Of course not! You know why?!" Sabo asked. Ace was about to reply when Sabo answered his own question. "Because I'll drag myself out of whatever cave I'm training in to kick your ass!"

"You're going to be training in a cave?" Ace asked, taking a break from their hype-up fest to sate his curiosity.

"Well, I don't really know, that's just what I've been picturing-" Sabo started. "Stop distracting me! Let me help you!"

"Right, yeah!" Ace shouted back, jacking up the volume once more.

"You're going to have to step up! Do both of our jobs! Be the tough brother and the nice brother! Do you know why!?"

There was an awkward pause while Sabo waited for a reply and Ace waited for him to answer his own question like before.

"Oh! Because Luffy will need me to!"

"That's right!" Sabo agreed, before continuing on in a softer tone. "You can do this, Ace. Do you remember what we were like when we first met him? We wanted to kill Luffy! I mean, I don't know if we would have actually been able to go through with it, but still! And now-"

"I'd kill anyone who tried to hurt him."

"Exactly. You can do this, Ace. You're a good brother. Who do you think has helped Luffy get better at fighting? Who pushes him to train harder? Who has made him a better hunter? You may have done it in a different way than I have, but it was just as effective. Now you just have to help him with the other stuff too."

"I'm not good at anything else. Manners, reading, math… you're so much better at that kind of stuff."

"Then you're gonna have to learn."

Ace groaned.

"You're going to have to man up. Maybe ask other people for help. You're doing both of our jobs now. I'll be counting on you to take care of our little brother."

Ace nodded. He hesitated, but after coming so close to losing Sabo, he didn't want to leave anything unsaid. "You were my first friend, Sabo. For a while, you were my only friend. You learned the truth about my father and didn't treat me any differently because of it. And then we became brothers. You met the bandits and survived training with Gramps. We went through a lot together," Ace paused, feeling extremely awkward and unsure. "I'm just trying to say that, well, that I-" he trailed off inaudibly.

Sabo swung his arm around Ace's shoulders and pulled him to his side. "I'm going to miss you too, Ace."

* * *

Once the four met up again, Luffy and Ace insisted on walking Sabo and Dragon back to their ship. It had been a risk to return to Goa at all, lest anyone suspect their involvement in the events that had transpired with the Grey Terminal, so they hadn't anchored at any of the official docks.

As they walked, Ace pestered Dragon with endless questions, doing his best to vet the guy they were handing their brother over to.

Luffy also asked questions as to not be left out, but since most were either nonsensical, irrelevant, or rhetorical, he was mostly ignored.

"So if you're the leader of this army thing, how come you came all this way just so Sabo could see us? Don't you have people you could have ordered to do that?"

"I have become personally invested in young Sabo. He is the first person of noble heritage that we have been able to recruit to our cause. Not only is he clever and remarkably precocious for his age, but also, he will undoubtedly become an indispensable asset in the future. I also feel responsible for his safety since I was the one to save his life. He placed himself under my care when he enlisted, and I will not betray that trust."

Sabo blushed under the praise from his place on Dragon's back, while Ace grunted non-committedly in response.

Ace asked a series of questions regarding the nature of the Revolutionary Army's missions and details about their home base, which Dragon answered with some variation of "that's classified."

Luffy asked him where babies came from, which again, went unanswered.

Ace and Luffy continued their annoying cop/bad cop routine until the time they reached the shore. Ace only had one question left, but it was the one observation about Dragon that had made him truly uneasy.

"How come you've been staring at Luffy so much? It's like you can't take your eyes off of him."

Sabo had finally had enough. Dragon didn't deserve this! "It's probably because of his devil fruit, Ace! I know we've gotten used to it, but it's weird for someone to be able to wind their arms around you to trap you in a hug!"

"Shishishi! They're better that way!"

"Oh," Ace responded sheepishly, his worries mostly appeased.

Dragon only chuckled in response.

Eventually, they made their way to a deserted shore that was surrounded by cliffs. It wasn't too far from Foosha village, but no one shipped out from it because there was no easy path from the cliffs down to the water. The beach itself was also extremely rocky, making it less than ideal for sunbathing and inconvenient for fishing.

Ace and Luffy had been excited to see the Revolutionary Army's ship, or one of them anyways, since Dragon had been so tight-lipped about any information about the organization. Even Sabo hadn't given them any details when pressed, saying that it had been one of the conditions Dragon had set when he agreed to escort Sabo back to Dawn.

Instead, they were met by an empty horizon – no ship in sight. Ace turned to Dragon and Sabo, thinking that they had missed their pick-up window, only to see them uncovering a small rowboat from underneath a sand-colored tarp. It looked like it would fit two people at maximum, and had a single furled sail.

Noting Ace's confusion, Dragon said, "Like I mentioned, coming back to Dawn Island was a great risk. We couldn't push our luck further by docking anywhere near the island, so we are regrouping at a predetermined set of coordinates out in the open ocean."

Ace nodded in understanding, still disappointed that they knew so little about what Sabo's new life was going to be like.

"It's about time for us to go, Sabo." Dragon turned to Ace and Luffy. "I suspect this won't be the last I hear of you. I will keep an eye out for your bounty posters in the future – I expect great things from you two."

"I don't know if your definition of 'great' matches up with ours, but yeah, one day everyone will know my name," Ace replied confidently.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Dragon replied, wild grin back in place. "I always appreciate a good bit of chaos."

"Don't forget your promise!" Luffy exclaimed, before promptly ignoring Dragon in favor of wrapping Sabo up in a tight, rubbery hug.

Ace gave him what could almost pass for a respectful nod, before he turned his back on him to clap Sabo on the shoulder.

Dragon muffled the indignant noise that almost made its way out of his throat. Partly amused and partly disappointed by the abrupt dismissal, he turned his attention to their small boat in an attempt to give them some semblance of privacy.

Luffy clutched on to Sabo tightly, knowing it would be a while before he would see his brother again.

"I promise I'll write letters – although I don't know if you would be able to send any back – and I'll visit as soon as I can-" Sabo kept mumbling incoherent promises, his voice wobbly.

Luffy couldn't bring himself to be upset, however. Compared to how he felt this morning, this was  _nothing_. His brother was alive, and about to start on a new adventure, about to start living out his new dream-!

"We'll miss you, Sabo! But one day we'll all meet up again on the open sea!"

"Tch. Although we'll be keeping our promise and waiting until we're seventeen," Ace snarked, his wide smile taking the bite out of his words.

Sabo smiled back at them, his eyes watery, their easy acceptance warming his heart.

"Lu, you gotta listen to Ace, okay? And don't do anything  _too_  reckless. He may not show it, but Ace worries about you."

Ace turned his head away in embarrassment. Luffy pouted but nodded.

Sabo paused.

"Luffy, you can let me go now."

"Okay," Luffy replied easily, not budging an inch.

"Really Lu, there's only about an hour of daylight left. I gotta say goodbye to Ace and get going."

"Uh-huh." Nothing.

Ace heaved a sigh. "Hold on to something Sabo."

Sabo walked over to a large boulder and grabbed on with both hands. Ace grabbed Luffy by the back of his shirt and slowly started walking away from Sabo, until the stretch was too much and Luffy's limbs snapped back to his body, knocking both him and Ace down with the recoil.

"Shishishi! Sorry!"

Sabo walked over, ruffled Luffy's hair affectionately while dodging his grabby-hands, and offered Ace a hand.

Ace pulled himself up with his help, then clapped Sabo on the shoulder. "See you, Sabo!" He saw no reason for an emotional goodbye – they already went through all of that mushy stuff during their one-on-one talk.

Sabo wasn't going to stand for it.

He hooked his good arm around Ace's shoulders, pulling him into a tight, one-armed hug. "Remember what we talked about, alright? Take care of Lu. And look out for yourself, too. Remember, you guys are my precious brothers. I wouldn't be able to handle it if anything happened to you. _Either_ of you."

Ace was grateful he had his back to the shore and to Luffy; he didn't want anyone to see the emotions flickering across his face. Surprise. Gratitude. Affection. Sadness.

"You too, Sabo. You're… a good person. The best. The Revolutionary Army doesn't know how lucky they are to have you." Feeling sheepish, he pulled away. He wished he was better with words like Sabo, or even Luffy in rare moments.

To Ace's surprise, Sabo had tears in his eyes that were threating to spill over. Looks like he didn't do too badly, after all.

Sabo started walking away backwards, trying to drink in the sight of his brothers one last time.

Ace was standing behind Luffy, hands on his little brother's shoulders, in both a show of affection and an attempt at restraining him from running into the ocean after Sabo.

After taking a second to climb into the boat without incident, Sabo turned to face them again. Dragon gave a short wave and then starting rowing, their small boat moving at a much quicker pace than anyone expected. It looked like the wind was in their favor.

"I'll miss you guys! You'll be hearing from me soon!" Sabo managed to shout before they were out of earshot.

Dragon felt a moment of panic once Luffy and Ace were nothing more than specks on the shoreline. They never discussed what they would tell the bandits entrusted with their care, or even more dauntingly, what they were allowed to tell Garp!

The moment quickly passed, however. Sabo was rational and clever to a fault. Dragon was sure that his brothers would be similar – or at least, have enough common sense to realize that they shouldn't reveal that they have ties to the Revolutionary Army to a  _vice admiral_.

Relaxing once more, he continued pretending to row as a strong wind pushed them effortlessly along. 

* * *

It was a rather grand affair, she supposed.

The courtyard of the Loguetown base had been completely transformed for the memorial. There were rows upon rows of seating, every spot filled. There was an open bar in the back and a variety of entrees waiting to be served on silver platters. Gladiolus flowers decorated the aisles that split the chairs into sections, the archways over every entrance, and every empty spot on the makeshift stage, filling the air with their aroma.

It overwhelmed her senses and made it hard for her to take a full breath, even though they were outside.

Selena followed Garp to their reserved seats in the front row, Kingsley's hand firmly intertwined with hers.

Everyone turned to look at them as they passed. At first, she thought it was because they were with Garp. After taking a look around, however, she realized why they stood out right away. Not only were they the only children in the room, they were also the only people not in uniform.

Everyone was dressed in their pristine white suits, many adorned with medals of honor or accompanied by the classic officer coat.

They were the only ones in black.

They took their seats a few minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start. She was glad that there wasn't enough time for anyone to approach her; she needed a few minutes to collect herself before sitting through what she was expecting to be an emotionally taxing service.

Kingsley gripped her hand tighter.

She looked over the program, noting that every single person chosen to speak was at least a vice admiral in rank. No names she recognized. It seemed like there wouldn't be much fanfare: just a couple of speeches about Hitoshi's career and accomplishments, ending with a eulogy by Gramps. Refreshments to follow.

She looked up when she heard the general murmur of the crowd quiet down, seeing that they did so in response to someone stepping up to the podium. Surveying the stage properly for the first time, she took note of the speakers seated off to the side, including Garp himself. They were all middle-aged – not a remarkable feature amongst them, but she knew better than to judge them by their appearance. Sharing the same title as Garp the Hero was no easy feat.

Hanging behind the stage, and wreathed with more of those damn flowers, was a giant portrait of Hitoshi.

It looked nothing like him.

It was a classic oil painting. Don't get her wrong, it was beautifully done and there was no doubt that it was of Hitoshi, but she'd never seen her father look so grim in her life. She didn't like that he would be remembered that way in his death.

She averted her eyes from the portrait, choosing instead to focus on the young woman setting up her notes on the podium. Unlike the vice admirals, she looked nervous. Referencing the program once more, Selena learned that Petty Officer Kuroko had been recruited by Hitoshi himself and then later on joined his crew.

Scrutinizing her further, Selena noted that while her nails were perfectly filed and polished, her cuticles had been picked raw. Black eyeliner did little to hide how red her eyes were. Her hands shook as she organized her note cards one last time.

She was the first person Selena had seen that actually looked upset by Hitoshi's passing. It made her feel better that there were actually people there who care about him.

Officer Kuroko started the ceremony by explaining who she was and how she had known Hitoshi. He had been the first person in the Marines who saw her potential. He took the time to get to know her, helped her start training, and later on served as her commanding officer.

Selena reveled in hearing a new story about her dad – now that he was gone, she realized there was so much about his life that she would never get to know. Hearing about the role he played in the young officer's life, Selena felt like she gained a new glimpse of him; she got to see him in a different light, even though it was through someone else's eyes.

While Officer Kuroko managed to keep her composure throughout her speech and her subsequent introduction of the next speaker, Selena did not. Although she was thrilled to learn something new about him, it also broke her heart that she would never get the chance to know  _everything_  about him. She gained a new puzzle piece, one of the millions that made up the jigsaw puzzle of his life, but she would never be able to get them all.

It also made her aware of just how precious her memories of him were.

The first of the unfamiliar vice admirals spoke next, and it was clear that she had never met Hitoshi. She spoke of his accomplishments with a rehearsed tone that made it clear she had memorized a list of facts about his life and was regurgitating them back, repackaged with flowery language. She talked about his rise in the ranks and standout moments in battle, but her retellings paled in comparison to Hitoshi's. No one could spin a tale quite like he could.

Kingsley grabbed the handkerchief doubling as a pocket square from his suit jacket and handed it to her. He let go of her hand so he could haul her from her chair to his, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and intertwined their fingers once more.

Officer Kuroko introduced the next speaker, a balding man with a wispy mustache. This speaker was drier than the last, who had at least tried to speak with elegance. This man just rattled off different ways Commodore Hitoshi had improved the Loguetown base, the training programs, and the recruitment program – reducing Hitoshi's life's work to a list of statistics. While the numbers were impressive, they didn't reflect how passionate her dad was about his job or how much he cared about every person under his charge. Numbers didn't mean anything; what mattered most was the way he touched the lives of everyone who was lucky enough to know him. It was obvious that this man hadn't been one of the lucky few.

Finally, Officer Kuroko introduced Garp – who really didn't need any introduction. It was the speech Selena had most looked forward to and dreaded most of all.

Garp stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat dramatically, which was completely unnecessary since he already had everyone's attention.

"I first met Hitoshi on a battlefield," he started. "He was the lone survivor of a pirate raid that had devastated his home island. By the time the marines had received their distress signal, it was too late to do much. I had expected to arrive in time to make the arrests but had no hope of saving anyone. But Hitoshi had never stopped fighting, even when it was just him left. One man against a whole crew, and he lived. Even managed to take out a few of the pirates, too. But that's who Hitoshi was: a fighter. He always persevered."

Garp continued speaking, covering all of Hitoshi's great milestones. His words painted a rich tapestry of Hitoshi's life, including both his professional and personal accomplishments. He spoke about Hitoshi's time as a new recruit and how he had caught Garp's attention from the very beginning. He talked about Hitoshi's potential and how it led to him training directly under Garp; how Hitoshi transformed from an angry teenager with a grudge against the world, to a dedicated marine who wanted to prevent what had happened to him from happening to anyone else.

As Garp told Hitoshi's life story, it became clear to everyone at the memorial that Garp cared for Hitoshi a great deal. Their relationship went beyond mentor and protégé, and as the tales of hard battles fought together and of treacherous voyages sailed went on, everyone could see how their relationship evolved into something more familial in nature.

Selena wasn't the only one riveted by Garp's tale. The entirety of the crowd, which was made up mostly of Hitoshi's crew, was also entranced by the touching eulogy. By the end of Garp's speech, most of them were dabbing their eyes discreetly while a few were sniffling unabashedly. Selena was right there with them, clutching onto Kingsley like he was a lifeline and sobbing into his jacket.

"Most of us here today knew Hitoshi to be a great man. To some of us, he was a teacher. To others, he was the person who made you want to become a marine. Some of you were lucky enough to call him your captain. To me, he became a son." Garp continued, his voice suspiciously gruff. "He will be remembered by all of us, and dearly missed, but I also encourage you to do as he did. Find out what you stand for, and live by it. Protect those who most need you most, even when it means putting your life on the line. Most importantly, treasure those who you care about and never stop putting them first. Hitoshi was many things: a marine commodore, a friend, and a father. But in the end, Hitoshi died as he lived: a hero."

There was a solemn pause as everyone tried to absorb what Garp had told them, before the quiet murmur of the crowd started up once more.

Even the other vice admirals seemed affected. While the statistics drone seemed uncomfortable with the blatant display of emotion by everyone present, the verbose woman looked almost… guilty? She had even winced when Garp got choked up at the end of his speech. Selena watched as Garp strode right past them, ignoring their attempts to catch his attention, marched right up to her and scooped her up in his arms.

Garp stroked her back as she tried to regain her composure once more. He patted Kingsley's head almost affectionately with his other hand, in silent thanks for being there to support his granddaughter.

After a few minutes, Selena felt collected enough to raise her head from the crook of Garp's neck, only to find that a line of people had formed while she had commandeered his attention. She scrambled down, embarrassed, as Garp chuckled. Of course people would want to talk to Gramps – either to offer their condolences or to try to get some face-time with one of The Marines' most famous heroes. She was about to drag Kingsley off to a more obscure spot to wait, but was stopped by Garp tucking her into his side.

Still clutching Kingsley's hand and feeling incredibly confused, she looked up at Garp quizzically. He only shook his head in response, before gesturing the first person to come forward.

To her surprise, he immediately dropped down to one knee so he could be at eye level with her.

"Hey kiddo, you don't know me, but I've been sailing in your dad's crew for the last few years so I kind of feel like I know you. I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am, and that your dad loved you more than anything. The man never shut up about you," he chuckled. "Wherever he is now, just know that he's really proud of you and that he'll never stop watching over you."

Selena must have caught him unaware with the force of her hug, because he was forced to rock back onto his heels to maintain his balance.

"Thank you," she whispered, not even trying to keep the tears at bay. The marine ruffled her hair in response, before stepping aside so that the next person could step forward. He began speaking to Garp, but Selena was too overwhelmed to pay attention to anyone else's conversations for once in her life.

Person after person stepped forward, each with kind words or a fond memory of Hitoshi. Some wanted to tell her about the time her father saved their lives, others wanted to tell her about a joke they shared, or advice he gave them, or about how he was as a captain. Almost all of them told her about how much he loved her and how much he spoke (bragged) about her when he was away from Valhalla.

Kingsley stood behind her the whole time, acting as a sort of bodyguard and emotional support. He kept the line moving and stopped anyone from lingering, while maintaining a comforting hand on her back.

They must have been there for hours after the memorial was supposed to have ended, but she didn't care. This was why she had wanted to come in the first place – it wasn't about getting restitution from The Marines, or to judge those who were in charge of the cover-up, but so that she could talk to his crew and get closure. So she could meet the people who really knew him, who spent most of the year with him, and give them a chance to say their piece.

After the memorial, the three of them sailed back to Valhalla on the ferry, The Bifrost. 

They all felt both emotionally and physically exhausted, but they also felt a bit more at peace. 

* * *

The next day passed in a flurry of activity, with everyone rushing to get Hitoshi's funeral preparations done before sunset. Etsuko had managed to bring together everyone on the island and had begun delegating tasks at first morning light.

Garp was put in charge of collecting all of the lumber that would be needed and had disappeared into the forest with a large ax.

Marcus and Kingsley had volunteered to construct the raft.

Bruce had donated all the supplies needed to make the paper lanterns, which were being put together by people from all over town who wanted to help.

The owners of the winery had donated a generous amount of casks of Asgardian Gold for the reception, which was to be held at Mama's. Etsuko's peers, the other restaurant owners on Valhalla, had donated enough food to last a week. It was more than what was needed for the reception – although she insisted on cooking it all herself.

So Selena spent most of the day in the kitchen at Mama's helping her mother prepare food for the hundreds of people expected to show up for the funeral. The amount of work they had to do kept their minds off of what was happening later that day, although Selena managed to tell her mom about the memorial when there was a lull.

While they waited for the roast in the oven to finish cooking, and for the desserts to cool so that they could begin frosting, Selena began recounting everything that had happened at the memorial. She told her about the unnecessary ostentatiousness of it all, about the impersonal speeches given by the unknown vice admirals, and about how no one mentioned any details of Hitoshi's death or the so-called "pirate" who killed him.

For a brief moment, Selena was glad her mother had decided to stay behind. The iciness in Etsuko's expression had chilled Selena to her core. There was resentment pooling behind her mother's eyes and a jadedness to her that Selena had never seen before.

Selena had known about the reality of this world for a few years now, but this was a new and sudden betrayal for Etsuko. She had grown up trusting the marines blindly and had married one, knowing that there was a part of Hitoshi that would never be hers because he had given it to The Marines long before he had met her.

The moment soon passed, leaving behind Etsuko's normally unreadable expression once more.

She also told her mother about Officer Kuroko, about Garp's beautiful eulogy, and about the kindness she received from Hitoshi's crew and colleagues.

"I'm glad you went, angel. It seems like it really helped you gain some closure."

Selena shrugged. "It's not just that – it also helped remind me that there are a lot of marines that really cared about tou-chan and that the organization he dedicated his life to isn't all bad."

Etsuko hummed, expression inscrutable, but was saved from responding by the ding of the oven timer.

The rest of the day passed much too quickly, in Selena's opinion. By the time the food was ready, they only had about half an hour to get ready.

Selena bathed quickly, grateful that she didn't have to wash her hair that day. She rushed back to her room, drying herself off as she went. Her mom had laid out a prim black dress for her to wear on her bed, but something about it didn't seem right.

After glancing at the picture by her bedside table, she was struck by inspiration. She just hoped her mom would be okay with it.

She quickly tugged on a pair of black slacks and a white button down, along with her black oxfords. After giving her shoes a quick shine, she pinned her hair back so that it was tucked behind her ears. She put on Kingsley's suit jacket, which he had lent her when she had gotten cold on the ferry last night, and gave herself a once-over in the mirror.

Something was still missing.

Annoyed with her options, Selena tied a black ribbon under her collar in some semblance of a bowtie – since she didn't own a real tie and had no idea how to tie a Windsor knot anyhow.

Just as she finished with her look, Etsuko opened the door.

Selena heard an intake of breath behind her, but didn't turn to face her mom just yet. Instead, she walked over to her nightstand where the picture of Hitoshi was placed. In the photo, he was dressed in his usual attire: a crisp black suit with his officer coat draped over his shoulders.

"What do you think?" Selena asked almost nervously.

"Oh, Selena…" Etsuko started, holding back tears, "it's perfect."

Selena shot her a wobbly smile before throwing herself into her arms. Etsuko caught her effortlessly. Selena sniffled, not even sure why she was really tearing up anymore.

"He would be so proud of you, angel. You're being so strong."

Selena nodded tightly before letting her mom go.

Etsuko would have liked to have held on longer, but they were running late and she knew she didn't have the strength to carry Selena all the way to the ceremony site. She cursed her frailness once again, knowing it wouldn't be the last time her body held her back from doing what she wanted.

Etsuko and Selena held hands as they made their way down to the docks.

The sun began to dip under the horizon as they walked quietly down the path. As they went on, people stepped from their homes and businesses to join them, remaining a respectful distance behind them. By the time they had reached the boardwalk, there was a procession of people following them. It looked like everyone on Valhalla had come to pay their respects.

Marcus, Kingsley, Bruce, and Garp were already down by the shore, having finished the final preparations. Lying just out of reach of the waves was Hitoshi's coffin, resting on a large raft. A pyre had been built around the coffin, and the whole thing had been doused in the traditional oils, which ensured that the fire would burn hot enough to properly cremate the body.

Once everyone had gathered, Kingsley and Selena's friends from around the island started passing out the paper lanterns and writing instruments. Selena was touched they had gone out of their way to help, especially since they were distant friends at best. She made sure to thank each of them as they passed her by.

A small group of musicians started playing a funeral dirge, filling the air with the sound of heavy drumming and brass instruments.

Garp pushed Hitoshi's pyre into the water almost gently. The waves slowly started to drag him deeper into the ocean, and with each lap at the shore he moved further away from the island.

Everyone took their time to write out their final wishes and last words to Hitoshi on the lanterns. As a traditional part of the Valhallan funeral ceremony, a lot of the notes contained general well-wishes and hopes that the deceased would find peace in the afterlife. Close family members and friends usually wrote promises that they intended to keep, or secrets they never got to share, or what they would have wanted their last words to be.

Gas lanterns had been lit up and down the boardwalk, which became necessary after the sun finally set. Slowly, the night became filled with a soft glow as people finished writing and began lighting their paper lanterns.

Eventually, the sounds of scratching paper stopped, leaving behind only the sorrowful music and the lapping of the waves. The drumming kept building up, getting louder and louder, until coming to a complete halt with a resounding  _thrum_.

At the trumpeted signal, the crowd spoke as one:

"May our words light the way as your journey in this world comes to an end and you cross into the next. Though your life amongst us has ended, you will never truly die - for in Valhalla, the brave live on forever!"

They released the lanterns.

_"I promise to look after Selena, like I always have. You won't have to worry about her as long as I'm around."_

_"Your family is my family. I'll do right by them, son."_

_"You have my heart. Protect it until we meet again, won't you? Goodbye, my love."_

_"I'm going to live my life in a way that will make you proud, tou-chan. I'm going to follow my dreams and stick up for what I believe in, no matter what. I wish I could just talk to you one more time… but seeing how I ended up in this world, maybe we'll meet in the next. Love you."_

They all took a moment to watch the lanterns float into the sky, the wind pushing them all in vaguely in the same direction. The drums started up once more, without accompaniment.

Selena felt her mother stir from her place by her side. Confused, she watched as Etsuko walked over to Bruce to grab the traditional bow and unlit arrow from his hands.

She had just assumed Garp would be the one to fire the arrow. Traditionally, it was done by whoever was closest to the departed; but Selena assumed Etsuko would have passed on the honor to someone more physically capable. Selena shared a bewildered look with Kingsley before she was distracted once more by Etsuko's return to their place at the front of the crowd.

Etsuko kneeled in front of Selena, wordlessly handing her a match and the arrow. Selena could feel the drums beating in time with her pulse, making the music almost feel alive. She released a shaky breath before striking the match. The arrow burst into bright blue flames that faded into a warm orange, bathing the mother and daughter pair in a ghostly, flickering light. Selena handed it over.

Lore stated that if the first arrow fired lit the pyre, it would guarantee that the departed would receive safe passage into the afterlife. If more than one arrow was needed, the person would be cursed to wander along the veil between worlds in darkness in hopes of finding their way.

Selena watched, mesmerized, as her mother confidently hoisted up the bow. Etsuko waited until the lanterns had gained enough height so that they wouldn't interfere, and then shot the arrow without hesitation.

It flew true.

The drums crescendoed once more, building in intensity and speeding up their rhythm.

The arrow arced into the sky, before landing squarely in the center of the pyre. Immediately, the whole thing went up in flames.

The drums stopped abruptly, letting their last beat echo into the night.

There's a moment of silence as everyone watched the flames build ever higher, burning brightly in the dark of night. Slowly, those at the edge of the crowd started to head back into town. Those who knew Hitoshi personally stayed a while longer, but eventually, the crowd trickled down to five.

Marcus expressed his condolences once more, stopping to pat Selena's head before he started walking away. Kingsley caught her in a tight hug before joining him.

Garp was about to turn back as well, so he could give Selena and Etsuko a private moment; but before he even got the chance to open his mouth, Selena had trapped a few of his fingers in a vice grip.

He turned a questioning glance on Etsuko, whose eyes didn't stray from the fire. Without looking, she grabbed his arm and pulled him closer, so that Selena was squished in between them.

Not that she minded.

They watched until the fire burned out, tears streaming down all of their faces.

Eventually they made their way back to Mama's Place, which was filled beyond capacity. There were people lined out the door and a crowd had gathered in the street. Etsuko automatically went into hostess mode, gathering up all of the owners and residents who lived on the street so that they could bring over whatever folding chairs or makeshift seating they had.

Inside the restaurant, the mood was still somber. It wasn't right. Mama's had always been a place where everyone would come together to celebrate, drink, and enjoy each other's company. Selena didn't like it like this.

People stepped out of their way so that Etsuko and Selena could pass through. They seemed to be of the same thought: Hitoshi wouldn't want this.

They quickly moved through the crowd, passing out the first round as they went. Within minutes, everyone had a drink in hand. Selena gave her mom's hand a reassuring squeeze, before helping her up onto a chair so everyone could see her. Immediately, the crowd quieted down even further.

"I am a woman of few words, but my husband was not. He would have come up here and won you over with his charisma, maybe made a joke at his own expense to put all of you at ease. I wish I could do the same, but well, he was always the funny one in our relationship," she said, smiling softly. "He always did everything he could to make me laugh. And let me tell you, that man was not afraid of making a fool of himself."

At this, a few people chuckled.

"If you came into Mama's enough over the last few years, you would know that firsthand. We have the rest of our lives to mourn Hitoshi, so today let us remember him like he would want us to. Today, we celebrate his life."

Everyone raised their glasses as she did.

"To Hitoshi!"

"To Hitoshi!"

At first, conversation remained stilted, the mood still reserved. Eventually, everyone started to loosen up as the liquor flowed. The band started playing again, sticking to simple tunes that could easily be tuned out; the music helped put everyone at ease and kept any pauses in conversation from becoming awkward. Etsuko and Selena spent the first hour or so serving food, but eventually they got the chance to relax as well.

It looked like everyone from the island had come to show their support, and they all had stories about Hitoshi.

Selena and Etsuko were regaled with tale after tale about Hitoshi's ridiculousness. Most of them were about Hitoshi's antics from when he was trying to win over Etsuko, but there were also a few stories from Hitoshi's first few weeks as a new dad, and a few embarrassing ones from Etsuko and Hitoshi's honeymoon phase.

Garp even shared a few new stories from Hitoshi's time as a rookie.

There were still a few tears, since those stories also reminded them of how absolutely incredible Hitoshi was and how lucky they were to know him, but there were a lot more laughs.

Selena sat there, surrounded by her family and feeling the outpouring of love from her community, and she felt like she was going to be okay.

Eventually.

Eventually, she was going to be okay. 

* * *

On the other side of the East Blue, a young boy was coping with his own grief.

Why did it have to be her? Especially right after they had…

He stared down at Wado Ichimonji.

He had prostrated himself in front of his sensei and begged him for Kuina's sword on the day of her funeral. If he was going to be the best swordsman in the world, she deserved to be alongside him in some way.

Because he had no doubt in his mind that she would have fulfilled their promise. She was going to be the best.

2001 fights. 2001 victories.

He picked up the pristine sword, still not used to the weight of it in his hand. It was like Wado was also carrying the weight of their oath.

He needed to train more.

Ever since he had gotten the sword, and Koushirou-sensei's blessing, he had done nothing but try to get stronger. The other boys from the dojo had tried to get him to spend time with them, or to take breaks, but if it wasn't helping him improve as a swordsman, it wasn't worth his time.

He ate, he slept, he trained. They didn't understand.

She was his first real friend and he wasn't going to break his promise to her. That was all that mattered.

One day he was going to be the best swordsman in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what they say... death comes in threes.
> 
> This chapter was by far the most difficult one to write as of yet. A lot of the events in Selena's life weirdly mirror what has been going on with me - even though I had this all planned out for over a year and a half now. I drew a lot of inspiration from personal experience, so I hope it resonated with some of you. If you're going through a similar experience, just know that you're not alone.
> 
> Also, in case you were wondering, a lot of this chapter isn't in chronological order. The ASL reunion scene takes place almost two months after Hitoshi's funeral, but I thought it flowed better this way. 
> 
> Anyways, let me know what you think! Did you enjoy all of this angst? Are you missing the tooth-rotting fluff as much as I am? Which Strawhats are you hoping to hear from next?


End file.
